" Nude Lady - 8 "
Charcoal on Vellum- 267

The severe depravation in Germany that followed World War I led Julian and his mother to emigrate to America in 1924. Crossing the Atlantic by ship, they landed in New York with no money and barely a word of English between them. Julian quickly adapted to the new country.

Julian traveled from New York to Philadelphia to Chicago before finally settling in Los Angeles. He worked as a dishwasher, errand boy, order clerk, lamp shade painter and freelance artist. He frequented vaudeville and burlesque theaters on his days off, where the strippers and slapstick comedians taught him the kind of humor that satirizes the human condition. An appreciation for the dignity of the common man, developed during this time, influenced Julian’s work as much as any schooling he ever received.

While in Chicago, Julian began to take a serious interest in art. He audited night classes at the Chicago Art Institute with Dr. Schroeder. He later won a scholarship to Art Center School in Los Angeles. Under the tutelage of Stanley Reckless, who studied at the Philadelphia Academy of Art and taught in the tradition of Frank Duveneck and the Munich School, Julian was introduced to figure painting. Classical study of human anatomy and the use of live models was the rule.

After graduation, in 1932, Julian found work at the film studios, doing portraits for movie sets for Warner Brothers, MGM, Paramount and Universal. On a visit to San Francisco, he was hired to produce murals for the Golden Gate International Exhibition of 1939. He continued to freelance and painted portraits of prominent California people.

In 1941, Julian exhibited at the Gallery of Modern Art, and at the Newhouse Galleries in New York City. Both exhibitions were highly acclaimed. The Art News (March 15, 1941) wrote: “His style shows fluency and ease” and Arts Digest (November 15, 1941): “Ritter is more than versatile, he is complex, exceptionally talented.”

Enlisting in the US Army, Julian married Hilde Meyer-Radon just before shipping overseas. In the Service, he served as a photographer and combat artist with the 40th Combat Engineering Division under General George Patton.

Honorably discharged from the Army in 1945, Julian returned to Los Angeles to paint and to raise a family. This began his most prolific period. Regularly working ten to twelve hours a day, Julian became known for the fine craftsmanship of his nude studies and clowns. Collectors acquired Julians throughout the West, particularly in Southern California, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.

After the death of his wife in 1966, Julian fulfilled his boyhood dream; sailing his own boat, the Galilee, on a long Pacific cruise, sketching and painting along the way. His three year voyage was climaxed by a nearly fatal ninety days adrift at sea, forty-nine without food. This experience gave him profound, new insights into himself and life. “Your mind becomes keener as you become hungrier,” he wrote. “It gets sharper than ever before. You cleanse yourself of past mistakes and you realize that nature gave you facilities that you have misused.”

Upon his return to California, Julian set to work on an entire new series of paintings. Many were mystical in nature. Others were the story of his voyage and some were the experiences he and his companions suffered. He lived in Santa Barbara, California until 1985 when he moved to Maui, Hawaii.

In December, 1985, Julian suffered a debilitating stroke, however he continued to paint, write and teach.

Julian passed away on March 4, 2000 at the age of ninety years old.