Ernst Engert
1892-1986

Born in Japan in 1892 Engert moved with his family to German in 1900 where he began creating shadow plays at Berlin cabarets and cutting the most intricate paper sihouettes. In 1919 he co-founded the Darmstadt Secession and later lived with his brother-in-law the American sculptor William Hunt Diederich (1884–1953). Diederich was also a master of drawing and cutting paper silhouettes. Together, Diederich drew and Engert cut – producing some of the most arresting pieces in the art of the silhouette. Acrobat on Horseback is an iconic example of their collaboration.