Jean Schaack was born in Walferdange, the second of four children in a family of Catholic farmers. Despite their modest means, his parents supported his artistic talents. His uncle also played a key role in determining his professional path (Michels 474). From primary school onwards, Schaack showed a keen interest in art, frequently copying images from Le Petit Parisien (Probst). Drawing lessons nurtured his passion at an early age, eventually leading him to a career as an art teacher. After studying at the École d'Artisans in Luxembourg, he continued his education abroad in Strasbourg, Munich and finally Paris. His thirst for knowledge drove him to embark on several study trips to Aachen in Germany, Belgium (Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges), the South of France (Villefranche, Antibes, Menton) as well as Italy (Lake Garda, Bolzano, Padua, Venice) and Corsica. At the end of the First World War, he joined a group of artists (including Joseph Kutter, Harry Rabinger and Jean Noerdinger) who, in 1927, founded the Luxembourg Secession, considered to be ‘a break with traditionalists’ (Nowara 11). In 1920, he began teaching drawing. From 1929 to 1959, he gave drawing classes in Esch-sur-Alzette and Luxembourg. Earlier, he had married a woman from Luxembourg and they had two children, including Anne Liliane Schaack, who bequeathed a significant estate of the artist’s works to the National Museum of Archaeology, History and Art (MNAHA) in 2012. Jean Schaak died in 1959, shortly before his retirement.

Schaack distinguished himself in several artistic disciplines, including painting, drawing, graphic arts (such as posters, bookplates, caricatures and illustrations) and decorative arts (such as wall painting). Exploring the evolving pictorial trends of his time, he experimented with various styles, including Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, Realism, Neo-Cubism, Neo-Futurism and Abstraction. He worked in numerous artistic techniques (oil, watercolour, gouache, ink, charcoal, pencil, engraving), with a preference for drawing and oil painting. Most of his creations were signed, many also dated and occasionally marked with a location. His signature evolved over the course of his career. The most common form is “Jean Schaack”, written in red or black (Nowara 12).

His preferred subjects were landscapes, portraits and still lifes, but he also explored religious, social and fantastical themes. At the age of 15, he began painting landscapes and still lifes (Probst). From an early age, he showed a strong interest in depicting the human figure in portraits, self-portraits and nudes. His earliest portraits featured family members, but also his teacher friends and, most notably, himself. Starting in 1913, his self‑portrait series unfolds like a diary, portraying him with shifting attributes across multiple styles (Nowara 19).

During his studies in Munich, Schaack was introduced to German Expressionism. The opening of the Neue Staatsgalerie in 1919 also gave him the opportunity to engage with the works of the French Post-Impressionists. Their influence is evident in two of Schaack’s self-portraits: one inspired by Neo-Impressionism, though appearing unfinished (Self-Portrait), and the other produced in the Post-Impressionist style (Self-Portrait) (Thill 68; Nowara 19). In 1921, he made two attempts to create abstract works (Ruhender Jüngling and Composition abstraite) (Nowara 24). According to art historian Edmond Thill, "this turn towards Abstraction led him to depict the mythical figure of Saint Sebastian, (...) who symbolised the struggle for modernity" (70). Schaack then experienced a deep crisis and left Munich for Paris, "where he found peace in his quest" (Michels 479; Nowara 18).

Throughout his career, he produced several works with biblical themes, and "his interest in analysing the human figure also led him to create various caricatures" (Nowara 27). From the very beginning, landscape painting played a fundamental role in his artistic practice. Initially, he painted scenes from his homeland, such as views of towns, villages, castles, churches, farms and the valleys of the Alzette and Sauer rivers. Later, his numerous travels abroad inspired new landscapes. Between 1922 and 1923, he visited Belgium, where he developed an interest in paintings produced in France and Belgium (Mosar 11). His early landscapes reflected a Neo-Cubist aesthetic (Braun-Breck 22). His trip to Corsica in 1931 marked a return to a more realistic style (22).

He also excelled as a book illustrator, one example being Nicolas Majerus' Histoire du droit dans le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (History of Law in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), published in Luxembourg in 1949. In addition to comic illustrations, he created several bookplates and numerous posters in the styles of both socialist realism (a series on workplace safety for ARBED mines and factories) and Art Deco (Becker 83). Together with Félix Glatz and Josy Meyers, he also designed the wall decorations for the restaurant in the Luxembourg pavilion at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris.

The artist's first solo exhibition was organised by Galerie Bradtké in 1932, followed by a second in 1938. A first retrospective was held at the Villa Vauban in 1984, commemorating the 25^th anniversary of his death. Three further retrospectives were staged: at the Galerie am Tunnel in Luxembourg City in 2007, at the Walfer Galerie in Walferdange in 2012 and at the MNAHA in Luxemburg City in 2013. As for group exhibitions, he first displayed his work in 1914, at the age of 19, at the Salon du Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg (CAL) and continued to do so a total of 22 times until 1951. During this period, he paused his participation in the Salon du CAL for a short time, from 1926 to 1930, to take part in the first Salon de la Sécession luxembourgeoise in 1927. He mainly exhibited in his native country, but also represented Luxembourg abroad, at the International Exhibitions in Paris in 1925 and Brussels in 1935, as well as at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1937 and at New York World’s Fair in 1939/1940. During the Second World War, he participated in the travelling exhibition Kunstausstellung Moselland (Berlin, Poznań, Breslau) in 1942. After the war, he took part in group exhibitions in Belgium, France, the United States, Germany, Poland, Denmark and China.

Schaack maintained contact with numerous artists of his generation. He trained under Pierre Blanc, Ferdinand d'Huart and Eugène Kurth at the École d'Artisans in Luxembourg. It was there that he first met Jean Noerdinger, Joseph Kutter and Auguste Trémont. Together with Harry Rabinger, these artists became close friends and later co-founded the Luxembourg Secession. Schaak painted portraits and caricatures of several important figures from the worlds of culture and politics, such as the renowned Luxembourgish poet Nicolas Welter (1871–1951). In Munich, he studied under Julius Diez (1870-1957), Hugo von Habermann (1849-1929) and Franz von Stuck (1863-1928), among others. He notably attended evening classes at Hofmann's Schule für Bildende Kunst in Munich, which was run by Hans Hofmann (1880-1966).

The artist's work is featured in several public collections in his native country, including those of the MNAHA, the 2 Musées de la Ville de Luxembourg, the City of Esch-sur-Alzette and the Maison du Grand-Duc. His work is also represented in collections abroad, such as the Folkets Hus (House of People) in Stockholm, the Københavns Museum (Museum of Copenhagen), the Dansk Metalarbejderforbund (Danish Union of Metalworkers) and the Muzeum Narodowe w Poznaniu (National Museum in Poznań). Additionally, his work can be found in several private collections.

Schaack had been a member of the CAL since 1914 and served as a substitute member from 1946. He also was a member of the Association des arts décoratifs [Luxembourg] since 1926.

In 1924, the artist received the Prix Grand-Duc Adolphe, his first national honour. In 1935, he was awarded a gold medal at the Brussels International Exhibition and in 1937, a bronze medal at the World’s Fair in Paris (Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne). In 1936, he received the Premier Prix du Concours du Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg. Although, after the Second World War, he was initially convicted for participating in several exhibitions organised by the Nazi occupiers (Lorent 371), he was later awarded a diploma recognising his resistance. In 1956, he was knighted in the Ordre de la Couronne de Chêne.

From his very first exhibitions, Schaack distinguished himself as an innovative artist who not only engaged with the trends of his time, but also "(...) provoked extreme reactions" in the press (Jean Schaack (1895-1959): exposition rétrospective). Although he was not very pleased with his first participation in the Salon du CAL in 1914 (Michels 477), the following year, the Kutter, Noerdinger, Schaack exhibition was a resounding success. It was attended by Minister of State Paul Eyschen and Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde, who "purchased three works as a gesture of encouragement" (quote from the Luxemburger Volkszeitung reproduced by Thill 46). In 1917, following the Kutter, Noerdinger, Schaack exhibition at the Zentralhalle, critics recognised the talent of these three young artists and recommended that the government and art lovers acquire one or more of the works on display (Thill 52).

It is important to note that Schaack exhibited eight works in the first Salon de la Sécession in 1927, an event which left its mark on the history of Luxembourg art (Holzmacher 164). According to Thill, Luxembourg artists, like their Munich counterparts, seceded from the established art scene because they did not want to show their paintings in exhibitions "to which everyone, without exception, is invited to participate" (78). Schaack's membership in the group was limited to a single participation. In his letter of resignation dated 4 January 1929, he explained his decision: "I have come to the conclusion that the club has no raison d'être (...) Looking back on the past year, nothing has been accomplished" (quoted from Thill 123).

At the time, the critic Nicolas Ries described Schaack as a "meditative artist": "I have always believed that to be a great painter, one must be somewhat of a philosopher and certainly also a poet. The painter Jean Schaack seems to me to be both" (304). Nevertheless, in 1933, art critic Jan Greshoff described the situation (of painting) in Luxembourg as "deplorable", regretting that: "(...) talented artists such as Rabinger and Schaack, whose works in 1925 showed real promise, gave up the fight and slowly but surely adapted to Luxembourg's poor taste" (Greshoff quoted in Thill 162). Others, however, highlighted Schaack’s talent in 1933: "The realm of painting is vast, but Jean Schaack has explored it entirely, both spatially and temporally, in all places and periods of art history (...) To date, none of our artists has been able to achieve the same in all areas of art" (“Der Salon 1933").

Despite being awarded a gold medal at the Brussels International Exhibition in 1935, Schaack was not widely appreciated in his own country. Evidence of this can be seen in the criticism of curator Joseph-Emile Müller in the Escher Tageblatt: "Schaack and Rabinger have in no way kept their promises; on the contrary, they have become poorer and more mediocre with each passing year" (quoted from Nowara 38). Another review from the same year praised the talent of "true painters", referring to Schaack and Rabinger, and encouraged readers to purchase their works (Weber). Schaack’s second solo exhibition in 1938 was positively reviewed in the national press (M.W. 3), with his talent being described as "an honour for his homeland" in the Luxemburger Wort ("Die Kunstausstellungen: Jean Schaack."). After his death, at the 1960 Salon du CAL, he was described as “a Luxembourg painter we can be proud of” (Blg.). In 1984, the Villa Vauban held his first retrospective and described Schaack's work (...) as "astonishing in many ways. It can be said that few Luxembourgish artists have been as productive and as stylistically varied (...)" as Schaack (Jean Schaack (1895-1959): exposition rétrospective). Art historian Nathalie Becker pointed out "(...) the abstract temptations reminiscent of Kandinsky and the Russian Constructivists (...)" in the artist's work (84). In 2012, art historian Catherine Lorent described the socio-cultural context of Luxembourg artists during the Second World War in her doctoral thesis, in which she also documented the activities of individual artists, including Schaack, during the period 1934-1944 (Lorent). In 2014, following the significant donation of 88 works, critics praised "(…) the artist’s creative diversity and his remarkable ability to continually reinvent his style, reflecting an extraordinary artistic quest (cf. Monographie Jean Schaack). In 2023, following the launch of the online dictionary konschtlexikon.lu, the existence of a painting by Schaack in the Polish collections of the Muzeum Narodowe w Poznaniu was brought to our attention (Michalowski). This work had been acquired at the occasion of the Kunstausstellung Moselland exhibition in Poznań in 1942, which had been organised by the Nazi regime. In 1983, a residential street in Luxembourg City was named after the artist (Rue Jean Schaack).

Schaack devoted his life to art and, alongside contemporaries such as Théo Kerg, he paved the way for modernity. To our knowledge, Schaack and Kerg were among the first Luxembourg painters to have ventured into Abstraction, even though Schaack did not persevere with this style. Instead, he ultimately preferred figurative art over Abstraction.

WORKS CITED

Association des professeurs d’éducation artistique de l’enseignement secondaire et supérieur. Regard sur deux siècles de création et d’éducation artistique au Luxembourg. Luxembourg : n. p., 1987. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 87-88)

Becker, Nathalie. "Jean Schaack, un acteur de la sécession luxembourgeoise." Nos cahiers 3 (2007) : 79-86. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 129-136)

Bisdorff, Georgette. "La collection Luxembourgeoise du Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art : Jean Schaack" Ons Stad Dec. 2005: 36-37. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 122-123)

Blg. "Le Salon 1960 du Cercle artistique à Luxembourg." Luxemburger Wort 27.09.1960: n. pag. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 7b)

Braun-Breck, Lotty. Holzmacher, Gaston et al. La femme dans la peinture luxembourgeoise. 'La représentation de la femme dans la peinture luxembourgeoise (jusqu'en 1945)'. Luxembourg : Ville de Luxembourg, 1981, 22. Exhibition catalogue. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 9)

Georgette. "Galerie d’art municipale (Villa Vauban) : Force de renouvellement et richesse des sujets : Rétrospective Jean Schaack (1895-1959)." Luxemburger Wort 27.01.1984: unknown. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 54-56.)

Holzmacher, Gaston. "Zeichenprofessor Jean Schaack (1895-1959): nebst Anmerkungen zur Luxemburger Sezession." Le moniteur du collectionneur : organe officiel de la Fédération des sociétés philatéliques du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg 1 (1984) : p. 158-166. Print.

Jean Schaack (1895-1959) : exposition rétrospective organisée à l’occasion de 25e anniversaire de la mort du peintre. Luxembourg: Villa Vauban, 1984. Exhibition catalogue.

Kayser, Lucien. "Le cas Schaack." Lëtzebuerger Land 17.02.1984: unknown. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 65.)

Lorent, Catherine. Die nationalsozialistische Kunst- und Kulturpolitik im Grossherzogtum Luxemburg (1934-1944). Trier: Kliomedia, 2012. Print.

Majerus, Nicolas, Jean Schaack, et Nico Schneider. Histoire du droit dans le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. Luxembourg: Impr. Saint-Paul, 1949. Print.

Michalowski, Piotr. “Re: Ad.Schaack.” received by Malgorzata Nowara. E-mail. 11.12.2023.

Michels, Pol. "Jean Schaack, der einfache Maler elementaren Geschehens." Les cahiers luxembourgeois 6 (1927/28): 473-483. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 1b-1f)

Mosar, Christian. "Jean Schaack, e Moler vu Walfer." Jean Schaack (1895-1959). Walferdange: Adm. communale, 2012, p. 5-15. Exhibition catalogue.

Muller, Joseph-Emile. "Kunstausstellungen" Escher Tageblatt 07.12.1935: n. pag. Print.

M. W. "Ausstellung Jean Schaack." Escher Tageblatt 06.10.1938: 3. Print.

"Aus dem Salon 1931." Escher Tageblatt 23.05.1931: 7. Print.

"Der Salon 1933." Tageblatt 27.05.1933: n. pag. Print.

"Jean Schaack (1895-1959)." N. p.: n. p., 1933. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p.10d)

"Bilder von Rabinger und Schaack." Escher Tageblatt 05.12.1935: 6. Print.

"Die Kunstausstellungen: Jean Schaack." Luxemburger Wort 08.10.1938: n. pag. Print.

"Monographie Jean Schaack." 2014. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 129-136)

"Rue Jean Schaack." Ons Stad Avril 1983: n. pag. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p.10a)

Nowara, Malgorzata. "Jean Schaack (1895-1959), une vie consacrée à l'art". Jean Schaack 1895-1959. Luxembourg: MNHA, 2013: 11-43. Exhibition catalogue.

Probst, Jean. "Jean Schaack et son oeuvre." Jean Schaack (1895-1959) : exposition rétrospective organisée à l’occasion de 25e anniversaire de la mort du peintre. Luxembourg : Villa Vauban, 1984, n. pag. Exhibition catalogue.

Rich, Audry. "Villa Vauban." Tageblatt 31.01.1984 : unknown. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 61)

Thill, Edmond. "Joseph Kutter, sa vie et son oeuvre." Koltz, Jean Luc, Edmond, Thill. Joseph Kutter. Catalogue raisonné de l’œuvre, 2nd ed., revised and expanded, Luxembourg : Éditions Saint-Paul, 2008 : p. 15-242. Print.

Weber, Batty. "Abreisskalender." Luxemburger Zeitung 03.12.1935: n. pag. Print. (Archive Herr, S05 Schaack, p. 34-35)