Wilhelm Heine
Encyclopedia
Peter Bernhard Wilhelm Heine, better known as Wilhelm (or William) Heine (January 30, 1827 in Dresden
- October 5, 1885 in Lößnitz bei Dresden
) was a German-American artist, world traveller and writer.
, whose father had been a family friend.
Heine studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Dresden and in the studio of Julius Hübner
. Then he continued his artistic studies for three years in Paris
. He returned to Dresden getting work as a scene designer for the court theatre and giving painting classes. He fled to New York in 1849, following the suppression of the May Uprising in Dresden
in which he participated. In this he was aided by Alexander von Humboldt
.
. Proceeding ahead of Squier, he collected and recorded indigenous plants and animals and compiled notes for future publications. Until Squier arrived, Heine stood in as consul, negotiating a commercial agreement between the Central American countries and the United States
, which he delivered to Washington. The record of this expedition was published in 1853 as the Wanderbilder aus Centralamerika. While in Washington, he met President Millard Fillmore
and Commodore Matthew Perry, and was selected from among several score of applicants for the post of official artist to the Perry expedition to Japan
Nominally attached to Perry's expedition as an Acting Master's Mate
in the United States Navy, Heine visited Okinawa, the Bonin Islands, Yokohama, Shimoda and Hakodate during 1853 and 1854 (Edo
, however, remained closed to the members of the American expedition, and Heine was not to visit the city until 1860, when he returned to Japan as a member of the Prussian Expedition). The sketches he produced of the places he visited and the people he encountered there, together with the daguerreotypes taken by his colleague Eliphalet Brown Jr., formed the basis of a official iconograhy of the American expedition to Japan which remains an important record of the country as it was before the foreigners arrived in force.
Upon his return to New York in 1855 he published several books: a collection of prints entitled Graphic Scenes of the Japan Expedition; 400 sketches which were included in Perry's official report; and his memoirs, Reiss um die Welt nach Japan (Leipzig, 1856). The memoirs were very successful, and were immediately translated into both French and Dutch.
and Okhotsk
Seas, under the title Die Expedition in dir Seen von China, Japan und Okhotsk (Leipzig, 1858-9) and Japan und Seine Bewohner (Leipzig, 1860). Here he urged the Prussian government to send more expeditions to Asia
before the Americans became established there. This was taken up and while in Berlin he received an invitation to join the Eulenberg Expedition as official artist once again, and was simultaneously given a premium to send back reports for a Köln
newspaper. During this trip he met up with Mikhail Bakunin
in Yokohama
, who was in the process of returning to Europe
, following his escape from Siberia
.
and took part in the Civil War
as engineer captain of the Unionist
Army of the Potomac
in the American Civil War
. When he spent his time surveying and mapping, Heine was Unfortunately arrested and accused of revealing too much information of the Union defense in his drawings. He was honorably discharged as "unfit for service." In 1864 he published his major work, a voluminous book on travel in the Orient, Eine Weltreise um die nordliche Hemisphare in Verbindung mit der Ostasiatischen Expedition in den Jahren 1860 und 1861 (Leipzig, two volumes). He later, he rejoined the army as colonel holding three different commands. In 1865, he was made a brigadier general but was soon again accused of disobedience. He had a short period as a U.S. clerk to the Paris and Liverpool consulates. After the establishment of the Hohenzollern Empire in Germany in 1871, he returned to Dresden where he wrote his last book about Japan, Japan, Beitrage zur Kenntnis des Landes und Seiner Bewohner (Berlin, 1873–80).
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
- October 5, 1885 in Lößnitz bei Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
) was a German-American artist, world traveller and writer.
Early life
Heine was born in Dresden, the son of Ferdinand Heine, a comedian engaged at the Dresden Court Theatre. His family connections included composer Richard WagnerRichard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, whose father had been a family friend.
Heine studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Dresden and in the studio of Julius Hübner
Julius Hübner
Rudolf Julius Benno Hübner was a German historical painter of the Düsseldorf school. He was also known as a poet and the father of Emil Hübner, a distinguished classical scholar.- Life :...
. Then he continued his artistic studies for three years in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He returned to Dresden getting work as a scene designer for the court theatre and giving painting classes. He fled to New York in 1849, following the suppression of the May Uprising in Dresden
May Uprising in Dresden
The May Uprising took place in Dresden, Germany in 1849; it was one of the last of the series of events known as the Revolutions of 1848.-Events leading to the May Uprising:...
in which he participated. In this he was aided by Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
.
Career
He set up his artist studio at 515 Broadway, and soon established his reputation as an artist. After meeting the archaeologist and diplomat, Ephraim George Squier, Heine was invited to accompany him, as an artist, on his consular duties to Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. Proceeding ahead of Squier, he collected and recorded indigenous plants and animals and compiled notes for future publications. Until Squier arrived, Heine stood in as consul, negotiating a commercial agreement between the Central American countries and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which he delivered to Washington. The record of this expedition was published in 1853 as the Wanderbilder aus Centralamerika. While in Washington, he met President Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
and Commodore Matthew Perry, and was selected from among several score of applicants for the post of official artist to the Perry expedition to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Japan
Master's mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master...
in the United States Navy, Heine visited Okinawa, the Bonin Islands, Yokohama, Shimoda and Hakodate during 1853 and 1854 (Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
, however, remained closed to the members of the American expedition, and Heine was not to visit the city until 1860, when he returned to Japan as a member of the Prussian Expedition). The sketches he produced of the places he visited and the people he encountered there, together with the daguerreotypes taken by his colleague Eliphalet Brown Jr., formed the basis of a official iconograhy of the American expedition to Japan which remains an important record of the country as it was before the foreigners arrived in force.
Upon his return to New York in 1855 he published several books: a collection of prints entitled Graphic Scenes of the Japan Expedition; 400 sketches which were included in Perry's official report; and his memoirs, Reiss um die Welt nach Japan (Leipzig, 1856). The memoirs were very successful, and were immediately translated into both French and Dutch.
Germany
Then he published a German translation of the report of the Rodgers Expedition sent by the US government to Japan, ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Okhotsk
Okhotsk
Okhotsk is an urban locality and a seaport at the mouth of the Okhota River on the Sea of Okhotsk, in Okhotsky District, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. Population: 4,470 ;...
Seas, under the title Die Expedition in dir Seen von China, Japan und Okhotsk (Leipzig, 1858-9) and Japan und Seine Bewohner (Leipzig, 1860). Here he urged the Prussian government to send more expeditions to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
before the Americans became established there. This was taken up and while in Berlin he received an invitation to join the Eulenberg Expedition as official artist once again, and was simultaneously given a premium to send back reports for a Köln
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
newspaper. During this trip he met up with Mikhail Bakunin
Mikhail Bakunin
Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was a well-known Russian revolutionary and theorist of collectivist anarchism. He has also often been called the father of anarchist theory in general. Bakunin grew up near Moscow, where he moved to study philosophy and began to read the French Encyclopedists,...
in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, who was in the process of returning to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, following his escape from Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
America
Once back in America he became a Forty-EighterForty-Eighters
The Forty-Eighters were Europeans who participated in or supported the revolutions of 1848 that swept Europe. In Germany, the Forty-Eighters favored unification of the German people, a more democratic government, and guarantees of human rights...
and took part in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as engineer captain of the Unionist
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. When he spent his time surveying and mapping, Heine was Unfortunately arrested and accused of revealing too much information of the Union defense in his drawings. He was honorably discharged as "unfit for service." In 1864 he published his major work, a voluminous book on travel in the Orient, Eine Weltreise um die nordliche Hemisphare in Verbindung mit der Ostasiatischen Expedition in den Jahren 1860 und 1861 (Leipzig, two volumes). He later, he rejoined the army as colonel holding three different commands. In 1865, he was made a brigadier general but was soon again accused of disobedience. He had a short period as a U.S. clerk to the Paris and Liverpool consulates. After the establishment of the Hohenzollern Empire in Germany in 1871, he returned to Dresden where he wrote his last book about Japan, Japan, Beitrage zur Kenntnis des Landes und Seiner Bewohner (Berlin, 1873–80).
Selected works
- 1856 -- Graphic Scenes in the Japan Expedition. New York: G. P. Putnam & Company. OCLC 3095611 Includes ten metal-plate illustrations: (1) Portrait of Commodore M.C. Perry;(2) Macao from Penha Hill; (3) Pagoda of Whampoa; (4) Old China Street in Canton; (5) Kung-Twa, at On-Na, Lew Chew; (6) Mia, or road-side chapel, at Yoku-Hama; (7) Temple at Ben-Teng, in the Harbor of Simoda; (8) Street and bridge at Simoda; (9) Temple of Ha-Tshu-Man-Ya Tschu-Ro, at Simoda; (10) Grave-yard at the Simoda, Dio Zenge.
- 1856 -- Reise um die Erd nach Japan an Bord der Expeditions-Escadron unter Com. Perry den Jahren 1853, 54, und 55, unternommen im Auftrage der Regierung der Vereinigten Staaten. Leipzig: Hermann Costenoble.
- 1857 -- Wanderbilder aus Central-Amerika: Skizzen eines deutschen Malers (Walking pictures from cent ral America: Sketches of a German Painter) Leipzig: Hermann Costenoble. OCLC 245831358
- 1864 -- Eine Weltreise um die nördliche Hemisphäre in Verbindung mit der Ostasiatischen Expedition in den Jahren 1860 und 1861 (A voyage round the world around the Northern Hemisphere in Connection with the East Asian Expedition, 1860-1861). Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus. OCLC 63836384
- 1865 -- Treasury of Travel and Adventure in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa: A Book for Young and Old. New York: D. Appleton and Company. OCLC 48859643
- 1871 -- Japan, Beitrage zur Kenntnis des Landes und Seiner Bewohner (Japan, contribution to the knowledge of the country and its inhabitants). Berlin: P. Bette. OCLC 82741141