Wilhelm Busch

Portrait painted by Franz von Lenbach, about 1875

Wilhelm Busch (April 15, 1832 (Wiedensahl near Hannover) - January 9, 1908 (Mechtshausen)) was a German painter and poet who is known for his satirical picture stories. After studying first mechanical engineering and then art in Düsseldorf, Antwerp, and Munich he started drawing caricatures.

One of his first picture stories, Max and Moritz (published in 1865), was a huge success. Max and Moritz as well as many of his other picture stories were early examples of the what became the modern comic strip. The idea of Max and Moritz, for instance, has been an inspiration for the Katzenjammer Kids.

Wilhelm Busch also wrote a number of poems in a style similar to his picture stories. Besides that he produced more than 1,000 oil paintings that were not sold until after his death in 1908.

Works

(with the year of publication)

• 1859 Die kleinen Honigdiebe [1]
• 1864 Bilderpossen
• 1865 Max and Moritz
• 1866 Schnaken und Schnurren
• 1867 Hans Huckebein der Unglücksrabe
• 1868 Schnaken und Schnurren, part II
• 1869 Schnurrdiburr oder die Bienen Braun
• 1870 Der heilige Antonius von Padua
• 1872 Schnaken und Schnurren, part III
• 1872 Die fromme Helene
• 1872 Bilder zur Jobsiade
• 1872 Pater Filuzius
• 1873 Der Geburtstag oder die Partikularisten
• 1874 Dideldum!
• 1874 Kritik des Herzens
• 1875 Abenteuer eines Junggesellen
• 1876 Herr und Frau Knopp
• 1877 Julchen
• 1878 Die Haarbeutel
• 1879 Fipps der Affe
• 1881 Stippstörchen für Äuglein und Öhrchen
• 1881 Der Fuchs. Die Drachen. - Zwei lustige Sachen
• 1882 Plisch und Plum
• 1883 Balduin Bählamm, der verhinderte Dichter
• 1884 Maler Klecksel
• 1891 Eduards Traum
• 1893 Von mir über mich (autobiography)
• 1895 Der Schmetterling
• 1904 Zu guter Letzt
• 1908 Hernach
• 1909 Schein und Sein
• 1910 Ut ôler Welt (legends)

Other websites

• Collection of known works (Gutenberg Project Germany)
• Works by Wilhelm Busch at Project Gutenberg
• Biography and works (in German)