Rago Auctions

Karl Josef Maria Drerup (1904 – 2000) was a German artist whose work was exhibited around the world alongside such 20th century giants as Wassily Kandinsky, Salvador Dali, and Max Pechstein. While studying art in Florence, Drerup met his future wife, Gertrude Lifmann. Fascist and Nazi pressures, along with Karl’s illness from tuberculosis, propelled the couple to seek shelter on the Canary Islands before leaving for New York City in 1937. They remained in the United States for the rest of their lives, eventually settling in New Hampshire, where Karl taught at Plymouth State University for twenty years. There, he founded the Fine Arts department and served as both a teacher and mentor. Originally trained as a painter, Drerup taught himself enameling in the 1940s and, through his painterly approach, brought a high level of expressiveness to the medium. Drerup is best known for his sumptuous, jewel-toned enamels and was considered to be one of the leading figures in the American enamels field. He studied examples from Limoges during his visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET purchased its first Karl Drerup enamel in 1940) and also produced a number of paintings and drawings that earned him additional fame.