Coming of Age In Munich

This chapter outlines how the Munich years (1883–8) brought Samuel Hirszenberg into contact with a different culture, a range of teachers and artistic directions, and students from various countries, including many of Polish origin. It traces his paths in these five significant years in Munich—his struggles to make ends meet, his exploration of Jewish themes, his enquiries into Jewish–Christian relations, his desire to be Gottlieb's successor, and his growing recognition as an artist. The chapter argues that this was a period of much growth, citing several comments and passages in Hirszenberg's notebook—some in German and probably written after his arrival in Munich. The chapter then explores Hirszenberg's studies of painting and composition under Professor Alexander Wagner (1838–1919), the academy's renowned history painter. It illustrates luxurious editions of books exploring the daily life and customs of both ancient Rome and contemporary Spain. The chapter presents his sketchbook which contains a page of handwritten texts in German and Polish. It stresses that Hirszenberg's sketches attest to his main preoccupations in Munich and reveal the ways in which he incorporated his increasing concern with the Jewish historical past into his visual oeuvre.