Hugo Leven (1874 – 1956) German Sculptor and Metalsmith

Tea service designed by Hugo Leven
Tea service designed by Hugo Leven

Hugo Leven (1874 – 1956) was a German Sculptor and designer.

Education

Leven studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule and then at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. He worked in his father Louis Leven’s studio for a time, had numerous contacts with French artists who had a strong influence on him, and quickly became known. Engelbert Kayser hired him as the first employee in his studio. From 1895 to 1904, Leven designed numerous models for Kayserzinn; his works had a lasting influence on the Art Nouveau pewter foundry. He also worked for the Kreuter company in Hanau and other companies that manufactured metal, silver and earthenware, such as B. Koch & Bergfeld and WMF.

Exhibitions

In 1906, Leven’s works were shown at the Third German Applied Arts Exhibition in Dresden; he also took part in world exhibitions.

From 1909 to 1933, he taught at the drawing academy of the college for the precious metal industry in Hanau, of which he became director. His students included Wilhelm Wagenfeld , Christian Dell and Herbert Zeitner . In 1933 he lost his job. After the Second World War, he headed the reconstruction of the drawing academy, which began operations again in 1947. 

In 2001/2002, there was an exhibition about Leven and his works in the Historisches Museum Hanau in Schloss Philippsruhe in Hanau and the district museum Zons .

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

“Hugo Leven” page. In: Wikipedia – The free encyclopedia. Processing status: August 2, 2019, 14:45 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hugo_Leven&oldid=190978977 (Accessed: November 17, 2021, 02:28 UTC)

More on German Designers

  • Ulrike Brandi Licht (b.1957), Trailblazing German Lighting Designer

    Ulrike Brandi Licht (b.1957), Trailblazing German Lighting Designer

    Ulrike Brandi, a German lighting designer, has made a significant impact in the field of design with her innovative creations. From her early education in literature to studying industrial design under notable mentors, Brandi’s journey led her to become an independent consultant and lighting designer. Her notable projects include the design of a solar-powered light…

  • Bruno Paul (1874 – 1968), German Architect and Designer

    Bruno Paul (1874 – 1968), German Architect and Designer

    Bruno Paul (1874 – 1968) was a German architect, cabinetmaker, designer, and teacher. He was born in Seifhennersdorf. He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule, Dresden, from 1886 and painting at the Akademie fur Kunst, Munich, under Paul Hocker and Wilhelm von Diez, from 1894. Read More →

  • Claus Luthe: A Visionary Automobile Designer from Germany

    Claus Luthe: A Visionary Automobile Designer from Germany

    Explore the remarkable career of Claus Luthe, an influential German automobile designer, known for his innovative contributions to iconic brands such as NSU, Audi-NSU, and BMW. Discover Luthe’s design language, including the iconic “bathtub” shape and the revolutionary wedge form, which left an indelible mark on the automotive industry. Learn about his role in shaping…

  • Peter Raacke (b.1928) German metalworker and designer

    Peter Raacke (b.1928) German metalworker and designer

    Hessische Metallwerke commissioned Raacke to produce metal cutlery, kitchen equipment, and cookware, most notably his “Mono-a” line (v-33), with silverware available in stainless steel and sterling silver.Read More →

  • Anni Albers (1899 – 1994) German Textile Designer, artist and teacher

    Anni Albers (1899 – 1994) German Textile Designer, artist and teacher

    Anni Albers was a German Textile Designer, artist and teacher. She was born in Berlin and was the Wife of Josef Albers.Read More →

  • Masterful Craftsmanship and Modern Ornamentation: The Legacy of Erna Zarges-Dürr, German Silversmith

    Masterful Craftsmanship and Modern Ornamentation: The Legacy of Erna Zarges-Dürr, German Silversmith

    Erna Zarges-Dürr (1907-2002) was a German silversmith. She was professionally active Pforzheim, Leipzig, Berlin. and Stuttgart. Between 1924-27, she trained at Bruckmann und Söhne, Heilbronn, as the first women in the silversmiths’ department. From 1927, she studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule, Pforzheim, under Theodor Wende and others. Read More →

  • Walther Klemm: The Master of Monochromatic Woodblock Prints

    Walther Klemm: The Master of Monochromatic Woodblock Prints

    Walther Klemm (1883-1957), a German painter, printmaker, and illustrator, was known for his monochromatic woodblock prints, particularly of animals. This article delves into Klemm’s life, from his early years in Karlsbad to his recognition at the Vienna Secession Exhibition and his professorship at the University of Fine Arts in Weimar. Celebrated for his unique interpretation…

  • Wolf Karnagel: A Visionary German Designer and Teacher

    Wolf Karnagel: A Visionary German Designer and Teacher

    Wolf Karnagel, a renowned German designer and teacher, has made significant contributions to the world of design. His versatile portfolio includes iconic glass ranges, such as “Joy” and “Pandio,” as well as the sterling silver flatware collection “Epoca.” Karnagel’s designs have been featured in prestigious publications and have earned him recognition globally. In addition to…

  • Albert Reimann (1874 – 1971) German metalworker and educator

    Albert Reimann (1874 – 1971) German metalworker and educator

    Albert and his wife Klara Reimann founded the Schülerwerkstatten für Kleinplastik (School for Small Sculpture) in Berlin in 1902. Reimann was a gifted craftsman who created prototypes to produce bronze, copper, silver, gold, and pottery. Read More →

  • Frei Otto (1925 – 2015) German Architect designs that soared

    Frei Otto (1925 – 2015) German Architect designs that soared

    The late German architect Frei Otto’s work can be seen all over the world in pavilions and sports stadiums. His impact on the Olympics is huge, from the design of Rio’s Maracana stadium to the tent-like roofs he made for Munich in 1972. He influenced a generation of British architects, including Norman Foster, Michael Hopkins…

  • Lange Gerd (b.1931): A Trailblazing German Designer

    Lange Gerd (b.1931): A Trailblazing German Designer

    Lange Gerd, a trailblazing German designer, made a significant impact on the design industry through his furniture and lighting design expertise. Born in 1931 in Wuppertal, Gerd studied at the Werkkunstschule and began his career in 1964. He collaborated with renowned manufacturers and exhibited his work in influential exhibitions, such as the ‘Die gute Industrieform’…

  • Frog Design: A Pioneer in Humanising the Artificial Environment

    Frog Design: A Pioneer in Humanising the Artificial Environment

    Frogdesign made a global impact in the 1980s by virtue of its products’ visual expressiveness and ergonomic success, traits that attracted an extensive and prestigious client listRead More →

  • Otl Aicher (1922 – 1991), German industrial and graphic designer

    Otl Aicher (1922 – 1991), German industrial and graphic designer

    From 1946 to 1947, Otl Aicher (1922 – 1991) attended the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. He later became closely affiliated with Ulm’s highly influential and radical Hochschule Für Gestaltung after founding a studio there the following year.Read More →

  • Hans Poelzig (1869-1936), German architect and designer

    Hans Poelzig (1869-1936), German architect and designer

    Hans Poelzig (1869-1936) was a German architect and designer who studied at Technische Hochschule, Berlin Charlottenburg and Technische Hocschule, Berlin. He worked in Breslau, Dresden, Preussiche Akademie der Kiinste in Berlin, and became a professor at the Technische Hochschule in Berlin Charlottenburg. He was influenced by Expressionism, Reinhardt’s Schumann Circus, and the Grosses Schauspielhaus in…

  • Jugendstil: An Exploration of an Artistic Style

    Jugendstil: An Exploration of an Artistic Style

    Jugendstil, an artistic style that originated around the mid-1890s in Germany and persisted throughout the first decade of the 20th century. READ MORRead More →

  • Lilly Reich (1885 – 1947) – German Interior Designer

    Lilly Reich (1885 – 1947)  – German Interior Designer

    Lilly Reich was a German interior designer and furniture and exhibition designer who studied embroidery and collaborated with Else Oppler-Legband. Reich’s professional relationship with Mies van der Rohe began with the 1927 ‘Weissenhof-Siedlung’ exhibition, and she designed interiors and furniture for the 1936 of Dr Facius in Berlin-Dahlem and 1939 furniture for Dr Schäppi’s apartment…

  • Walter Gropius (1883 – 1969) is the history of modern architecture

    Walter Gropius (1883 – 1969) is the history of modern architecture

    Walter Gropius (1883 – 1969) was an architect born in Germany in the early twentieth century who contributed to the founding of the Bauhaus School. He lived in the United States after 1937 and taught at Harvard University, where he continued to defend the principles of Bauhaus, especially the use of functional materials and clean…

  • Anchor Blocks – 19th Century construction toy

    Anchor Blocks – 19th Century construction toy

    Anchor Blocks were a German system of building blocks that were popular as a children’s construction toy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, notably in Europe. Dr F. Ad. Richter in Rudolstadt, Germany, began developing and manufacturing the system in 1879. The concept was based on the FROEBEL block system, which significantly impacted…

  • Peter Behrens (1868 – 1940) – German architect/designer

    Peter Behrens (1868 – 1940) – German architect/designer

    Peter Brehens (1868 – 1940) was a German graphic artist, architect and designer. He studied at the Karlsruhe and in Düsseldorf and Munich.Read More →

  • AEG – German Lighting Firm – Est. 1883

    AEG – German Lighting Firm – Est. 1883

    Engineer Emil Rathenau founded AEG as the Deutsche Edison Gesellschaft für angewandte Elektrizitäts (DEG) two years after seeing Edison’s lighting at the Paris Exposition Internationale de l’Electricité in 1881.Read More →

  • Ingo Maurer (1932 – 2019) – industrial designer – Poet of Light

    Ingo Maurer (1932 – 2019) – industrial designer – Poet of Light

    Ingo Maurer was a German industrial designer who specialised in the development of lighting fixtures and installations. “Poet of Light” was his nickname.Read More →

  • Margaret Leischner (1908 – 1970) German textile designer

    Margaret Leischner (1908 – 1970) German textile designer

    She began teaching weaving at the Bauhaus in 1931. She worked at the Dresdener Deutsche Werkstatten in 1931, designing woven textiles, and was the head of the weaving department at the Berlin Modeschule from 1932 to 1936. She worked as the head designer for Gateshead, a British fabric manufacturer.Read More →

  • Friedrich Adler (1878 – 1942), German sculptor and designer

    Friedrich Adler (1878 – 1942), German sculptor and designer

    First designer to work with bakelite Friedrich Adler (1878 – 1942) was a German designer, educator, and artist. He was well-known for his work in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco genres of metals design. He was also the first to employ bakelite in his designs. He created his designs with a wide range of…

  • Million Mark Note – Design Classic

    Million Mark Note – Design Classic

    The Bauhaus was the most well-known design school of the 20th century. Herbert Bayer created notes in denominations of one million, two million, and two billion. The designs exemplify the ideology of hardline Modern Movement graphics.Read More →

  • Herbert Bayer (1900 – 1985) – Universal Typeface – Bauhaus Master

    Herbert Bayer (1900 – 1985) – Universal Typeface – Bauhaus Master

    The universal typeface, 1925, was a geometric alphabet based on bar and circle and was designed by Herbert Bayer. READ MORERead More →

  • Theodor Bogler (1897-1968) German ceramicist and designer

    Theodor Bogler (1897-1968) German ceramicist and designer

    Theodor Bogler (1897 – 1968) studied at the Bauhaus and the University of Munich. He designed a 1923 mocha machine in ceramics for serial production. His earthenware kitchen containers by Velten-Vordamm ceramic factory were shown at the Bauhaus Exhibition.Read More →

  • Arzberg Porcelain – prestigious German design

    Arzberg Porcelain – prestigious German design

    Arzberg is regarded as one of the most prestigious porcelain design houses in the world. The definition of good design. Arzberg combines aesthetics, functionality, and durability.Read More →

  • Hermann Junger (b.1928) Bauhaus influenced jewellery

    Hermann Junger (b.1928) Bauhaus influenced jewellery

    Hermann Junger was one of the best goldsmiths in Germany. His creative jewellery had a big impact not only in Germany, but also all over Europe and the U.S. He studied at the Staatliche Zeichenakademie, Hanau.Read More →

  • Christian Dell (1893 – 1974) German metalworker designer

    Christian Dell (1893 – 1974) German metalworker designer

    Christian Dell (1893–1974) was a German silversmith. Dell was born in Hesse’s Offenbach am Main. In the 1920s, Dell ran the metal workshop at the Bauhaus University, and his designs are, in line with the Bauhaus style, characterised by modern shapes and functionality. After his successful stint as an industrial designer, Dell returned in the…

  • Hermann Zapf (1918 – 2015) German Typographer and Calligrapher

    Hermann Zapf (1918 – 2015) German Typographer and Calligrapher

    Hermann Zapf (1918 – 2015) was born and educated in Nuremberg. Gudrun Zapf-von Hesse, a calligrapher and typeface designer, was his wife. Palatino, Optima, and Zapfino are some of the typefaces he developed.Read More →

  • Trude Petri-Raben (1906 – 1989) German Ceramicist

    Trude Petri-Raben (1906 – 1989) German Ceramicist

    From 1927 she studied porcelain at Verinigdten Staatsshulen für freie und angewandte Kunst (United State Schools for Free and Applied Arts), Berlin, and Staatliche Porzellan-Manufakture, Berlin (Royal Porcelain Factory, Berlin).Read More →

  • Otto Zapf German product and furniture designer

    Otto Zapf German product and furniture designer

    Otto Zapf has created an essential system of furniture designs. Including the Zapf Office System by Knoll and 7500 workstations by Pacific Telesis. He and Dieter Rams designed their first furniture in the 1960s and 1970s.Read More →

  • Franz Rickert (1904-1991) German Silversmith

    Franz Rickert (1904-1991) German Silversmith

    He worked as a silversmith from 1926 and became one of the most important silversmiths in Munich and an outstanding enameler. 1935-72, he taught at the Staatsschule (later Akademie) fur angewandte Kunst in Munich. In the 1950s and 1960s, he designed numerous religious objects.Read More →

  • Ferdinand Kramer (1898 – 1985) German Architect and Designer

    Ferdinand Kramer (1898 – 1985) German Architect and Designer

    Kramer’s father was the owner of the most well-known of Frankfurt hat shops. In 1916, immediately after school, Kramer was drawn into military service and remained a soldier through the end of the First World War. The following year he trained at the Bauhaus for a few months before quitting, disillusioned with the technical level…

  • Hermann Gretsch (1895 – 1950) designer for Arzberg

    Hermann Gretsch (1895 – 1950) designer for Arzberg

    Hermann Gretsch was a German architect, engineer and product designer. In the 1930s, Gretsch worked for the Porzellanfabrik Arzberg.Read More →

  • Konstantin Grcic Unveils – CUP Chair For Plank | 🇩🇪 German Design

    Konstantin Grcic Unveils – CUP Chair For Plank | 🇩🇪 German Design

    For travellers, the benefits of plastic shell suitcases have come to be appreciated. They are extremely light and flexible, yet powerful and good looking. Suitcases made of thin vacuum-formed plastic sheets have completely transformed the product category. As a designer of the furniture, Konstantin Grcic was surprised by this ingenuity and the suitability of the…

  • Emmy Roth (1885 – 1942) German / Israeli Silversmith

    Emmy Roth (1885 – 1942) German / Israeli Silversmith

    In 1916, she established her workshop in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Her early work was influenced by the Baroque, but her later work was more straightforward, as evidenced by her fruit dish in The Studio, 1929.Read More →

  • Oscar Barnack (1879 – 1936) and the first 35mm camera

    Oscar Barnack (1879 – 1936) and the first 35mm camera

    The Leica 1, the first functional 35 mm camera, was introduced in Germany in 1925, making photography much more accessible to the general public.Read More →

  • Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1900 – 1990) German architect and industrial designer

    Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1900 – 1990) German architect and industrial designer

    He was an assistant lecturer at the Bauhaus in Weimar from 1922 to 1929, where he primarily designed lighting fixtures. Read More →

  • Klaus Moje (1936 – 2016) German Glass Designer

    Klaus Moje (1936 – 2016) German Glass Designer

    Around 1975, Moje began cutting the rods into thin wafers or strips and fusing them in a kiln. The pieces would then be cut again and re-fused to create rhythmic patterns of vibrant colour. In 1976, Moje returned to Hamburg after living in Danzinger Strasse. Read More →

  • Winold Reiss (1886-1953) German artist and designer

    Winold Reiss (1886-1953) German artist and designer

    Influenced by the international modern art movements that had recently swept across Europe, he blended cubism, which used geometric shapes to create abstract images, and fauvism, which favoured the use of bold colours to suggest shapes, with interest in ethnography to create a unique style of portraiture that sought to reveal the subject more thoroughly…

  • Hugo Leven (1874 – 1956) German Sculptor and Metalsmith

    Hugo Leven (1874 – 1956) German Sculptor and Metalsmith

    Leven studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule and then at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. He worked in his father Louis Leven’s studio for a time, had numerous contacts with French artists who had a strong influence on him, and quickly became known. Engelbert Kayser hired him as the first employee in his studio. From 1895 to 1904,…

  • WMF – Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (1853)

    WMF – Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (1853)

    The outbreak of the Second World War created significant difficulties during the early stages of restoration, leading to the closure of the NKA (Contemporary Products Department), but by the early 1950s, the company was back on track. Many of Wilhelm Wagenfeld’s WMF creations date from these years. Read More →

  • Michael Boehm (b.1944) German Glassware and Ceramics Designer

    Michael Boehm (b.1944) German Glassware and Ceramics Designer

    Boehm joined Rosenthal in 1966. His limited-edition Reticelli range illustrated his interest in Italian glass by incorporating cotton twist threads in the molten glass-like 17th-century Venetian vessels. Read More →

  • Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886 – 1969) German architect and designer

    Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886 – 1969) German architect and designer

    Between 1905 and 1907, he worked as an apprentice to architect and furniture designer Bruno Paul in Berlin, where he studied wooden furniture design. He created furniture for all of his early homes, including the Werner residence.Read More →

  • Carl Hugo Pott (1906 – 1985) – German Metalworker & Silversmith

    Carl Hugo Pott (1906 – 1985) – German Metalworker & Silversmith

    Carl Pott studied design and metallurgy at technical school in Solingen and Forschungsinitut unf Profieramt für Edelmetalle, Schwäbisch-Gmünd.Read More →

  • The brains and Braun of designer Dieter Rams

    The brains and Braun of designer Dieter Rams

    The way Dieter Rams tell it good design boils down to something as simple durability. Okay, not durability alone. A Well-designed piece is so self-explanatory that figuring out how to use it as simple as looking at it. And a design develops from the inside out because it involves not only aesthetics but also function.Read…

❤️ Receive our newsletter

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.