Master Art

Horst Janssen met Viola Rackow (b.1941) through his friend, the printmaker Hartmut Frielinghaus, in the summer of 1976. Although their love affair was a brief one, beginning early in 1977 and ending in the summer of the following year, they nevertheless remained friends for many years afterwards. The artist sent her numerous illustrated letters, most of which were collected and published as a book in 1986. He also produced several superb independent drawings of Viola, some of which were overtly erotic in tone.

Nicolaus Rackow (born c.1969), who was known by the nickname ‘Nicobus’, was the younger of Viola Rackow’s two sons.


Pencil and coloured pencil, with two small stamps of skull and crossbones in black ink.