Celebrating Else Lasker-Schüler

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Frankfurt-based guest artist Cynthia Kittler, celebrates Jewish German poet and artist Else Lasker-Schüler, widely considered one of the greatest lyricists to write in the German language. On this day in 1937, a Swiss newspaper published her famous poem “Mein blaues Klavier” (“My Blue Piano”), which is referenced in today’s Doodle artwork by the piano keys depicted on the camel’s back, alongside other symbols of Lasker-Schüler’s life and work.

Born in the western German town of Elberfeld on February 11th, 1869, Elisabeth Schüler was raised in a prominent Jewish family. Homeschooled by her mother, she was encouraged to experiment and explore her artistic interests, and in time, she began to develop her voice as a poet.

In 1894, Schüler married Jonathan Lasker and moved to Berlin, where she later published her first poems. She became a well-known fixture in Berlin’s artistic circles, rubbing elbows in cafes with some of the city’s top literary figures. Bringing her vivid work to life, the eccentric Lasker-Schüler could be found dressed in flamboyant robes, assuming the alter ego of one of her vibrant characters, “Jusuf, Prince of Thebes,” depicted in today’s artwork. 

In the leadup to World War II, Lasker-Schüler was forced to flee her home country and eventually settled in Jerusalem. She continued portraying “Jusuf, Prince of Thebes” and publishing multiple works from exile, including “Mein blaues Klavier.”

A prolific poet, Lasker-Schüler established herself as a leading German Expressionist voice and a major feature in the iconic Berlin literary journal Der Sturm (“The Storm”), with verses frequently exploring themes of fantasy, loneliness, romance, and religion. In recognition of her impact, in 1932 Lasker-Schüler received the Kleist Prize, widely considered the highest German literary honor at the time.

Guest Artist Q&A with Cynthia Kittler

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Frankfurt-based guest artist Cynthia Kittler. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:
 

Q: Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? 

A: Else Lasker-Schüler's multidisciplinary approach as an artist, her way of writing poetry, using metaphors, imaginative playing with words, her alter egos, and drawings inspire me a lot.
 

Q: What were your first thoughts when you were approached about the project?

A: I was looking forward to it because I already knew and admired her drawings, which I saw in an exhibition some years ago.
 

Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A: I drew inspiration from how she draws pictures and feelings with words. Like "Küssen sich zwei Sterne" (Poem: Das Lied des Spielprinzen) or “Meiner Glieder glichen irregewordenen Lilien“ (Poem: Eros), Wie meine Mutter starb, zerbrach der Mond (Prosa 1921-1945 Nachgelassene Schriften, Das Meer). In a way, I tried to play and freely associate these images in my Doodle.
 

Q: What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A: "My Blue Piano" is one of her most important and known poems that was published in exile during the Nazi Regime. I hope to tell people about her as a young multidisciplinary modernist artist. She expressed herself through gender-bending performances, drawings, and prose. For example, she appeared as Prince Jussuf of Thebes, one of her literary alter egos. Another self-figuration of her was a blue jaguar. 

Early concept sketch of the Doodle