Walter Gotschke, Automobile Impressionist

Seen above are an Auto Union and a Mercedes dueling in a pre-World War 2 race. The illustrator is Walter Gotschke (1912-2000) who reconstructed many such scenes after the war using a distinctive impressionist style of gouache painting. His art is well known to automobile buffs.

A short biography on a web site dedicated to Gotschke is here. The German Wikipedia entry that provides family information as well as Gotschke's World War 2 service is here. Charley Parker deals with his art here.

It seems that Gotschke was self-taught, but had little trouble understanding how to portray machines and settings accurately with strong doses of atmosphere and emotion. When necessary, he could change his style to tight rendering. Sadly, he started losing eyesight around 1985 and was blind by 1990, some ten years before his death.

Gallery

Rudi Caracciola driving a Mercedes SSK at the Semmering Bergrennen (hill climb), 1928.

Rudi Caracciola winning the 1931 Mille Miglia.

2 Litre Mercedes at 1924 Targa Florio race.

W154 Mercedes at 1938 Italian Grand Prix, Leghorn.

Bernd Rosemeyer in Auto Union speed record car, 28 January 1938.

Gotschke illustration doodles, 1968.

Volkswagen Works, Wolfsburg, 1946. Wolfsburg was in the British occupation zone, and production was re-started to provide a few vehicles for the occupation forces. Little did the Brits know what would come to pass.

Berlin street scene, 1930.

Brochure cover for Mercedes Type 170S - 1949.

Illustration for Ford Taunus P3 - c. 1961. This, and the three illustrations above, are crisply done, unlike his racing art.