Margarete Seeler
Margarete Seeler (1909–1996) was a German-born American artist, designer, educator, and author. She was known for work as a goldsmith, her enamelwork, graphic design, and her paintings. She was one of the best known enamelers in the United States, specifically for her cloisonné work.
Also recorded as Margaret Seeler
Margarete Seeler

Johann Zeitner · Scanned from a family photo album · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Margarete Seeler
- Born
- 1909
- Birthplace
- Berlin, German Empire
- Died
- 1996
- Place of death
- Kennebunkport, Maine, U.S.
- Education
- United State Schools for Free and Applied Arts
- Occupation
- Artist, designer, educator, author
- Known for
- Cloisonné, grisaille, plique-à-jour
- Spouse
- Herbert Zeitner (m. 1938–1942; divorced)
- Awards
- American Craft Council (1993)
- Nationality
- Germany · United States
- Fields
- cloisonné · enameling · grisaille · plique-à-jour
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Documentary summary
Margarete Seeler (1909–1996) was a German-born American artist, designer, educator, and author. She was known for work as a goldsmith, her enamelwork, graphic design, and her paintings. She was one of the best known enamelers in the United States, specifically for her cloisonné work.
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Note VALÉORINE
Margarete Seeler was a German and American artist, goldsmith and graphic designer, among other activities. The artist died in Kennebunkport.
Margarete Seeler studied at United States Schools for Fine and Applied Arts. The artist worked for Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, The Putney School and University of Connecticut. Margarete Seeler was active in cloisonné, enameling and grisaille.
Languages used include German. Works by the artist are held at Museum of Fine Arts Boston, National Galleries Scotland and Wichita Art Museum, among others. Margarete Seeler received Fellow of the American Craft Council.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q55830682 · wikipedia · Margarete Seeler
In this article
Biography
Biography
She published two books on enameling, The Art of Enameling (1969) and Enamel Medium for Fine Art (1997). Seeler was elected as a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 1993.
Margarete Seeler studied at United States Schools for Fine and Applied Arts. Training under Wilhelm Tank and Käthe Kollwitz is recorded. The recorded working language is German. The field of work recorded is cloisonné, enameling and grisaille. Employment is recorded with The Putney School, University of Connecticut and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Work by Margarete Seeler is recorded in the collections of National Galleries Scotland, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Wichita Art Museum and Yale University Art Gallery. Distinctions recorded are Fellow of the American Craft Council.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Margarete Seeler • Born — 1909 • Birthplace — Berlin, German Empire • Died — 1996 • Place of death — Kennebunkport, Maine, U.S. • Education — United State Schools for Free and Applied Arts • Occupation — Artist, designer, educator, author • Known for — Cloisonné, grisaille, plique-à-jour • Spouse — Herbert Zeitner (m. 1938–1942; divorced) • Children — 2 • Awards — American Craft Council (1993) • Illustration — Seeler's "Family Cup", ca. 1974
Biography
Biography
Margarete Seeler was born in 1909 in the Schöneberg neighborhood of Berlin, German Empire. At age 16, she started to study at the United States Schools for Free and Applied Arts (German: Vereinigte Staatsschulen für freie und angewandte Kunst), primarily painting and drawing. Her professors included Bruno Paul, and Wilhelm Tank. She lived in Italy in 1934, for one year, where she took commissioned portrait work. Seeler was able to save enough to travel around the world for the next two years. She was married from 1938 until 1942 to her former professor, silversmith Herbert Zeitner, and together they had two children. After World War II, Seeler was able to leave East Germany and move to West Germany. In 1958, she moved to the United States, to teach at The Putney School. From 1965 to 1985, she taught at the University of Connecticut. Notable students of Seeler include Mariluisa Barz and Gordon Merrick. Seeler often worked with pewterer Frances Felten, providing the enamel work on the top of her pewter. Seeler's work is included in public museum collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the National Galleries of Scotland, among others.
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Born on 1 September 1909. The register further records that margarete Seeler died on 7 January 1996. The same evidence establishes that margarete Seeler is recorded with the occupation goldsmith. Recorded with the occupation artist. Institutional cataloguing adds that margarete Seeler is recorded with the occupation portraitist. Recorded with the occupation graphic designer. Institutional cataloguing adds that margarete Seeler is recorded with the occupation author. Institutional cataloguing adds that margarete Seeler is recorded as a citizen of United States. Recorded with the gender female. The same evidence establishes that a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at St. Margaret's Westminster, on Friday, January xxx.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Margarete Seeler was born at Schöneberg and sources differ (the article records Berlin).
Birthplace
Margarete Seeler died at Kennebunkport.
Deathplace
Kennebunkport.
Death place
Publications
* *
Reception and standing
The scholarly and documentary record stands as follows.
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q55830682: Margarete Seeler
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Margarete Seeler”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Jazzar, Bernard N. Painting with Fire: Masters of Enameling in America, 1930-1980. Long Beach Museum of Art. 273. 2006. 978-0-9712772-8-1.
- 2.Gordon, John Stuart. American Glass. Yale University Press. 133. 2018-01-01. 978-0-300-22669-0.
- 3.College of Fellows. American Craft Council.
- 4.The Cup of '88. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
- 5.Kirkham, Pat. Women Designers in the USA, 1900-2000: Diversity and Difference. Yale University Press. 240–241. 2000-01-01. 978-0-300-09331-5.
- 6.Kay, Ernest. The Two Thousand Women of Achievement. Melrose Press. 47. 1972. 978-0-900332-24-1.
- 7.Gordon Merrick Obituary - Portland, ME. Dignity Memorial.
- 8.MFA Pub. Silver of the Americas, 1600-2000: American Silver in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 444. 2008. 978-0-87846-721-1.
- 9.Public Catalogue Foundation. Seeler, Margarete, 1909–1997. Art UK.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q55830682: Margarete SeelerWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
This entry is compiled from 6 catalogued sources across 5 independent registers. The registers consulted are Internet Archive, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and Wellcome Collection. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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