Carlo Mense

Carlo Mense was born on May 13, 1886 in Rheine, Westphalia, the second youngest of seven children.

In 1906, on the advice of August Macke, he began studying painting at the Düsseldorf Art Academy under the historical painter Peter Janssen. Together with his brother, he traveled to Ascona, Italy, where he came into contact with the reform movement, which had a lasting influence on him. After Peter Janssen's death in 1908, Mense continued his studies with Lovis Corinth in Berlin, but dropped out after one semester to continue his studies in Munich and Weimar.

In 1911, he joined the newly founded “Coelner Sezession” and the “Gereonsclub”. As early as 1912, his works were exhibited at the legendary Sonderbund exhibition in Cologne, and in 1913 he was represented at the show “The Rhenish Expressionists” in Bonn, initiated by August Macke. It was at this time that he met Herwarth Walden and designed the covers for his expressionist magazines “Die Aktion” and “Der Sturm”.

Mense was one of the co-founders and leading figures of the “Gesellschaft für Kunst” association. In 1918, he also joined the association “Das Junge Rheinland” and the “Novembergruppe”.  

In 1919, he married Vera Baske and spent more time in southern Germany, where he met Paul Klee, Oskar Kokoschka, Georg Schrimpf and Alexander Kanoldt. 

In 1925, he took part in the “New Objectivity” exhibition at the Kunsthalle Mannheim and was appointed professor at the State Academy of Arts and Crafts in Breslau in the same year. The academy was closed in 1932.

Thirty-four of his works hanging in public collections were confiscated by the National Socialists as part of the confiscation of degenerate art.

After serving as a front-line officer in the Second World War, Mense settled in Bad Honnef in 1944. His studio in Cologne was completely destroyed during the war.

Carlo Mense died in Königswinter on August 11, 1965.

Over four auctions in 2006 and 2007, 27 works from the estate were offered for auction. VAN HAM Kunstauktionen was able to offer these works at attractive prices, arouse a great deal of interest through clever marketing measures and thus achieve very good prices.