Heinrich Harder Paleontology Artist and Paintings

There are not many public details of Harder's life to find. Searching the internet and public libraries will bring just a few bits. Using the references listed below, here is what I've been able to sketch out. He was born in 1858 and lived in the Northeast part of Germany, where he studied painting under Eugen Bracht. Living mainly as a painter and selling his landscapes, he also provided illustrations of animals for books. He took on some students around 1906. That same year Harder did a series of illustrations for the Naturalist Wilhelm Bolsche, who wrote a short history of the planet earth. The articles appeared in the weekly family magazine Die Gartenlaube. When the Berlin Zoo added an Aquarium in 1913, Harder was commissioned to paint murals of extinct creatures around the perimeter walls. He also created relief sculptures of some of the animals as well. The main entrance to the new Aquarium was adorned with a life sized Iquanodon sculpture by Harder. The Reichardt Cocoa company had been issuing a series of collector cards of prehistoric animals and Harder was recruited to illustrate two series of them, for a total of 60 illustrations. Wilhelm Bolsche wrote the description of the creatures for the back of the card. Harder also illustrated a book by Bolsche, Tierwanderungen in der Urwelt in 1915. Harder went on to become an art professor at the Berlin University.

	The Wonderful Paleo Art of Heinrich Harder (1858-1935)


	There are not many public details of Harder's life to find. Searching the internet and public libraries will bring just a few bits. Using the references listed below, here is what I've been able to sketch out. He was born in 1858 and lived in the Northeast part of Germany, where he studied painting under Eugen Bracht. Living mainly as a painter and selling his landscapes, he also provided illustrations of animals for books. He took on some students around 1906. That same year Harder did a series of illustrations for the Naturalist Wilhelm Bolsche, who wrote a short history of the planet earth. The articles appeared in the weekly family magazine Die Gartenlaube. When the Berlin Zoo added an Aquarium in 1913, Harder was commissioned to paint murals of extinct creatures around the perimeter walls. He also created relief sculptures of some of the animals as well. The main entrance to the new Aquarium was adorned with a life sized Iquanodon sculpture by Harder. The Reichardt Cocoa company had been issuing a series of collector cards of prehistoric animals and Harder was recruited to illustrate two series of them, for a total of 60 illustrations. Wilhelm Bolsche wrote the description of the creatures for the back of the card. Harder also illustrated a book by Bolsche, Tierwanderungen in der Urwelt in 1915. Harder went on to become an art professor at the Berlin University.
	References: 1. Lorenz, Detlef Kunstlerspuren in Berlin vom Barock bis heute 2002 pg 260 2. http://www.aquarium-berlin.de/verstehen/ueber-das-aquarium/geschichte.html 3. http://www.aquarium-berlin.de/erleben/themenfuehrungen/historische-fassaden.html 4. Bolsche, Wilhelm Zeichnungen von Heinrich Harder Various articles in Die Gartenlaube 1906 Issue 14, 16, 18, 22, 26, 29 5. Scientific American Supplement Nov. 1, 1913 The New Berlin Aquarium pg 276 6. Bolsche, Wilhelm Tiere der Urwelt Zeichnungen von Heinrich Harder Series Ia 1-30 7. Bolsche, Wilhelm Tiere der Urwelt Zeichnungen von Heinrich Harder Series III 1-30 8. Bolsche, Wilhelm Tierwanderungen in der Urwelt 1914 Zeichnungen von Heinrich Harder 9. Bolsche, Wilhelm Tierbuch 1908 Zeichnungen von Heinrich Harder 10. Mitwirkung, Unter Die Wunder der Urwelt 1912 Below are small versions of the images, click on any one to view its larger version.

	Earth History Illustrations from the 1906 articles in Die Gartenlaube Archeopteryx Trilobites Early Earth Early Earth Ichthyosaurs Brontosaurus Cenozoic Scene Ursus Mastodon

	Prehistoric Animals from 1908 in Tierbuch by Wilhelm Bolsche Phenacodus Dinotherium Sivatherium Megatherium Glyptodont Elasmotherium Dinoceras

	Prehistoric animal murals and sculptures for the Berlin Aquarium Pteranodon Mural Art Ichthyosaurus Mural Art Plesiosaurus Mural Art Original Aquarium around 1935 Main Entrance with Iguanodon Rebuilt Modern Aquarium

click here for large Mosasaurus desk-top image	Illustrations for Die Wunder der Urwelt 1912 Mosasaurus vs. Ichthyosaurs Pteranodon Gigantosaurus

click here for large Rhamphorynchus desk-top image click here for large Pteranodon desk-top image click here for large Archegosaurus desk-top image	The 30 collector cards from Tiere der Urwelt (Animals of the Prehistoric World) Series Ia (from a set inscribed 1916) Glyptodon Megatherium Moa Woolly Rhino Plesiosaur Iguanodon Rhamphorynchus Sivatherium Dinoceras Dinotherium Stegosaurus Hesperornis Hadrosaurus Pteranodon Archeopteryx Ichthyosaurus Diplodocus Trilobites Limulus Ammonoid European Ox European Bison Archegosaurus Coral Reefs Echidna Platypus Ceratodus Hatteria Woolly Rhino Great Auk


click here for large Sea Lillys desk-top image	The 30 collector cards from Tiere der Urwelt (Animals of the Prehistoric World) Series III (date unknown, probably around 1920) Arsinotherium Moeritherium Paleomastodon Mastodon Imperial Elephant Tarsius Seelilien Moschusochsen Dorcatherium Protoceras Teleoceras Aceratherium Metamynodon Hyracodon Alticamelus Klippdacks Höhlenlöwe Pantolambda Coryphodon Elotherium Oreodon Hyaenodon Waldrapp Paleotherium Phenacodus Eohippus Mesohippus Hypohippus Hipparion Przewalski Horse

	Prehistoric animal Illustrations used in the 1914 book Tierwanderungen in der Urwelt (Animal Migrations in the Prehistoric World). (a few are duplicates from above and are not shown). Meiolania Moa Extinct Horses Dinotherium