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Hans Feibusch, the artist who for more than 20 years has been Britain
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Hans Feibusch, the artist who for more than 20 years has been Britain
Hans Feibusch, the artist who for more than 20 years has been Britains busiest mural painter, is nearing the end of what could be his last commission. For three years he has been working on a giant Series of murals in the civic centre of Newport, Monmouthshire, the largest mural paintings to be undertaken by any artist anywhere in the British Isles for many years. Now, the 12 panels, each 18ft. high and 13ft. wide, telling Newports story, are nearly complete. Soon Mr. Feibusch will paint the last of about 120 figures in the murals oa self-portrait. It will be the first and last time he has painted himself into his work, he says. Then, when the commission of a life-time is complete, the 65 years old artist may think about retirement. From his studio in London, which was built by the Victorian artist Landseer of iStag at Bayi fame, to house his private menagerie, he was interviewed by Coventry Telegraph journalist Clive Franklin and the article appeared in the paper on 26th June 1964.
Mr Feibusch, a Jew, was born in Frankfurt and fled to England in 1933 to escape the Nazis, who had banned and burned his pictures. Ironically, it was Hitler who indirectly provided him with most of his work in the post-war years - painting murals in rebuilt churches in London. Since then Mr. Feibusch has painted murals in nearly 30 Anglican churches, some in London, the rest all over Britain. Some of his best work can be Seen in churches in Brighton, Eastbourne, Welling, Preston, Portsmouth, and Coventry, and in churches in smaller places. Much of it he did under the patronage of the late Bishop of Chichester, Dr. G. K. A. Bell, for whom he painted Murals in Chichester Cathedral and in the bishops palace. He painted his mural in St.Marks Church, Coventry, only a year ago in a break from work at Newport. The Newport authorities commissioned him after they had seen his only other major civic work, in Dudley Town Hall, Worcestershire. Even now, though his thoughts turn to retirement, Mr. Feibusch is experimenting with a new technique in modern plastic materials, which could open up new possibilities for outdoor mural painting, making the paintings virtually impervious to weather. Work to Mr. Feibusch is second nature. But his health may call a close to his career. Few people realise the personal difficulties with which he has had to cope during the past year at Newport. Twelve months ago the self-exiled artist suffered a double blow. His wife, to whom he had been married for more than 40 years, died and he himself had to go into hospital for an operation to save the sight of both eyes. For two years he had suffered from glaucoma, without being aware of it. When he left hospital to return to work at Newport his sight had been saved but his field of vision was seriously restricted. Despite the handicap, he has been working possibly harder than ever. He has used his work as a therapy after the loss of his wife and to take his mind off his own troubles.
Retirement and inactivity is the state he dreads. That is why I doubt his own words and believe he will work on as long as possible. For the moment, he is intent on completing the Newport murals, driving to work daily from his cottage in the Forest of Dean, near the Wye Valley. For every hour spent actually painting, many hours of planning and thought have gone into developing a mural from sketches to a full-size cartoon, which is traced on to the wall with carbon paper before painting. Hans Feibusch has served the Church of England well since he found haven in Britain more than 30 years ago. Perhaps now the time has come for the Church to adopt a more liberal attitude towards the decoration of buildings and allow many more accomplished painters to use their talents to bring new life to many dark and dull British churches.
Here he is seen in St Markis Church, Coventry during the painting of his mural called iChrist in Gloryi on 2nd April 1963
Coventry Telegraph Archive
Mirrorpix
Coventry
West Midlands
England
Media ID 21630246
© Mirrorpix
Artwork Church Coventry Interior Murals Painter Painting Religious
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