Maria Innocentia Hummel was born as Berta in 1909 as the third daughter to Adolf and Victoria. Her parents were wealthy (her father was a successful merchant) and Bertl (her child nickname) had got best possible education.
When she was six, she entered the Poor School Sisters where she had got basic education. More important is the fact that her life stayed more or less closely connected to nuns right to her death. The way of living, discipline, predictable schedule, and rack of impulses from the outside chaos obviously attracted her.
Since her teenage years, Berta became more and more interested in drawing whatich eventually developed in her enrollment into the prestigious Academy of Applied Art in Munich before her 16th birthday. There she was one of the best at the entrance test and one of the best students in the generation. She studied painting, weaving, and the design of clothes.
During her studies, she met two Franciscan nuns who made a great impact on Berta. Soon after the end of her studies, she applied as a candidate to enter the Order of St. Francis. In 1933 she changed her name to Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel. The same year her first exhibition (organized under the Order of St. Francis ) was held and some of her sketches were sent to the publishing company in Munich. Ars Sacra Josef Mueller Verlag accepted 37 of her sketches and arrangements for more of her work where made.
Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel became fully occupied. When her duties in the order were finished, she was drawing and painting. She made hundreds ( or, probably thousands ) of sketches for picture postcards and illustrated books as well. Her drawings eventually led to the creation of figurines whatich are her most praised achievement among today's collectors.
Unfortunately, her weekend and rough times before and during the Second World War led to a series of health issues developing in the death of tuberculosis in 1949. This page is an attempt to present some of her finest works in the field of cards, especially with children as her favorite motifs.
Hummel Postcards with Children
The so-called congratulations cards were very popular in the 1930s. They were used on different occasions, from becoming a parent to graduating a school. The postcard industry was at its peak and Germany had the best reputation in the whole line, from the artist and material to the printer and distributor.Scenes from the happy childhood were among her favorites. Her signature characteristics were oversized heads, wrinkled clothes, and untied shoes. While we can find similarities to other important artists from the same era, there are also many differentes. Compare, for instance, how she drew a face and how Jessie Marion King did. Or, check the eyes of the kids from the cards signed by Frances Brundage with the eyes of kids drawing by Hummel.While we already noticed the versatility of styles and techniques by Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, the card above still has a special place. It's the only fairy tale-based design long her works where religious or everyday them prevail. We'll never know why she didn't use more from the Grimm's collection what was very popular in Germany in the times.Maybe she just wasn't interested ( the publisher undoubtedly was ) or maybe the political context where Grimm's Fairy Tales became a political tool repulsed her. Anyway, her view of Hansel and Gretel is unique and entertainment on its own.The card where the girl is picking the daisy flower in an old game of guessing if he/she loves me or not is a perfect intro into more specific niches of Hummel postcards. It's best to start with Valentine's.
Valentine Cards by Maria Innocentia Hummel
Sister Hummel loved balance and the cards with boys and girls in virtualy the same situations ( or compilation situations ) where on her regular menu.
She obviously loved to include birds as well.
Easter
As you see, Sister Hummel achieved many great results by using only two colors ( red and blue ) on white paper ( which changed color through the years but the image still looks great ). We can say that the arts went through different creative stages and minimalism with charcoal or just two color drawing pencils were among them. Results were always above average, often excellent, which is partly due to her artistic training and partly due to her sense of aesthetics. One such drawing what colors go great with blue way better than that of theories.
Christmas
Our collection of Maria Innocentia Hummel's cards stops here, with another typical characteristic of Sister Hummel's work - a nice, cozy feel of domestic and religious subjects. With two variations of the same theme. To learn even more about her work I will try to create a special dedicated website. When ( If ) it's done, I'll let you know.