Austria Post War Art
Herbert Breiter was a German-born Austrian painter and lithographer. He is known, in particular, for his landscape paintings, his "atmospheric scenes" and for the many views of Salzburg, his adopted home city, that he produced. His surviving output also includes still lifes and portraits.
Alfred Kubin was an outstanding Austrian engraver, illustrator and writer, and a prominent representative of the Symbolic and Expressionist trends in the visual arts in the first half of the 20th century. Alfred Kubin's works are full of phantasmagoric and grotesque depictions of dreams, motifs of desolation and fear.
Ernst Fuchs was an Austrian painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, architect, stage designer, composer, poet, and one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. In 1972, he acquired the derelict Otto Wagner Villa in Hütteldorf, which he restored and transformed. The villa was inaugurated as the Ernst Fuchs Museum in 1988.
Franz Hagenauer was an Austrian artist renowned for his significant contributions to the field of sculpture and decorative arts. Hagenauer embarked on a creative journey marked by a deep exploration of form and material, leading him to become a pivotal figure in Austrian art and design. He specialized in sculptures that often depicted the human form and wildlife, utilizing sheet metals to create pieces that were not only artistic but also deeply rooted in the craftsmanship tradition.
Franz Hagenauer's journey into the world of art was nurtured through his education, which included classes in ornamental form theory and sculpture, as well as a stint in metalwork under the guidance of renowned artists and educators. By the age of 25, his talents had already earned him membership in the Vienna Secession, highlighting his early recognition in the art community. His artistic direction was further influenced by his involvement in his father's workshop, the Werkstätte Hagenauer, which he eventually led after his brother Karl's death in 1956. This period saw the workshop gain international fame for its exquisite metal objects and furniture.
Throughout his career, Franz Hagenauer's work received wide acclaim and was showcased in numerous exhibitions. His pieces, characterized by their innovative use of metal and wood, can be found in prestigious collections, including the Leopold Museum in Vienna. The museum has hosted exhibitions featuring Hagenauer's work, offering insights into his creative process and the evolution of his style over the decades.
The Werkstätte Franz Hagenauer itself played a crucial role in the development of Viennese modernist design, with Franz and his brother Karl expanding the scope of their father's workshop to explore new forms and expressions. The workshop's legacy, which Franz helped to shape, is documented in various exhibitions, underlining the lasting impact of the Hagenauer family on the design world.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Franz Hagenauer's creations represent a unique blend of artistic innovation and traditional craftsmanship. His works not only reflect the aesthetic movements of his time, including Jugendstil and Art Deco, but also stand as testaments to the enduring appeal of Viennese modernism.
To stay updated on new discoveries and events related to Franz Hagenauer's work, signing up for updates is an excellent way to ensure you're informed about the latest sales and auction events. This subscription will provide valuable insights and opportunities for enthusiasts and collectors alike to engage with the legacy of a remarkable artist whose work continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.
Robert Hammerstiel, an Austrian painter and engraver born on 18 February 1933 in Vršac, Yugoslavia, was renowned for his profound and impactful art. His works, deeply influenced by his experiences, were widely exhibited in prominent cities like New York, Vienna, Cairo, and Brussels.
Hammerstiel's journey in the art world was notable for its depth and variety. In 1988, he transitioned to a full-time artistic career, leaving behind his work in the steel industry. This shift marked a new phase in his life, allowing him to fully dedicate himself to his art. One of his significant works includes "Von Ikonen und Ratten: Eine Banater Kindheit 1939 – 1949," which comprises 32 woodcuts, highlighting his skill in both writing and visual arts. His talent was recognized with several prestigious honors, including the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art in 1998 and the Austrian State Prize for Graphics in 1973.
Hammerstiel's art was not just limited to traditional formats; in 2007, he impressively wrapped the Ringturm in Vienna with a 4,000 square meter painting. His works are a part of various collections and have been displayed in significant exhibitions. Notably, the Leopold Museum in Vienna featured his graphic work in an exhibition titled "Winterreise", inspired by Schubert's song cycle, showcasing a series of drawings and woodcuts.
Robert Hammerstiel's influence in the art world extended beyond his lifetime, culminating in his birth town dedicating a museum to his works in 2010. His passing on 23 November 2020 marked the end of an era but left behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire artists and art lovers globally. His work is a testament to the power of art in expressing the complexities of human experiences and emotions.
For collectors, auctioneers, and experts in art and antiques, the works of Robert Hammerstiel offer a unique blend of cultural richness and profound artistic expression. His art, characterized by its emotional depth and technical skill, continues to hold a special place in the world of fine arts.
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Rudolf Hausner was an Austrian painter, draughtsman, printmaker and sculptor. Hausner has been described as a "psychic realist" and "the first psychoanalytical painter".
A characteristic of his painting technique is the use of translucent ("glazing") resin oil paints in more than ten layers on top of each other over underpainting of acrylic paints, which gives the paint a special luminous depth. He also developed methods to create flawless transitions in pure oil painting without the use of an airbrush.
Wolfgang Herzig was an Austrian painter and sculptor known for his critical portrayal of social realities. In his figurative paintings he draws attention to human weaknesses in everyday life.
There is a sense of social criticism in Herzig's work, but he never turns his characters into caricatures. Over time, the artist came to a peculiar two-dimensional form of plastics.
Adi Holzer is an Austrian visual artist, illustrator, draughtsman, painter, graphic artist, glass painter and sculptor of bronze sculptures and glass sculptures. He works alternately in his studios in Værløse in Denmark and Winklern in Austria. In Austria he is a member of the Carinthian Art Association.
Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser was an Austrian visual artist and architect who also worked in the field of environmental protection.
Hundertwasser stood out as an opponent of "a straight line" and any standardization, expressing this concept in the field of building design. His best known work is the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, which has become a notable place of interest in the Austrian capital, characterised by imaginative vitality and uniqueness.
Wilhelm Kaufmann is an Austrian artist who has been called the master of the moment.
He studied at the Imperial Royal Academy of Fine Arts, then worked as a painter and track and field athlete at the same time. Kaufmann used color dynamics to masterfully depict momentary scenes of athletes' movements during competitions. He also painted colorful still lifes, landscapes and portraits.
Wilhelm Kaufmann was a member of the Professional Association of Austrian Visual Artists, the Sonderbund of Austrian Artists, the Vienna Art Association and the Vienna Hagenbund, the Vienna Secession and the Vienna Society of Artists, Künstlerhaus.
Toni Kirchmayr was an Austrian painter and restorer. He received his first artistic training from the native painter and poet Alfons Siber. He then took lessons in ornamental and fresco painting from the fresco painter Rafael Thaler in Innsbruck until 1903 and completed a further year at the private painting school Moritz Weinhold in Munich. On 1905 he started studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He was headmaster of the Heymann painting school, did decorative and decorative arts painting for publishers and worked as an assistant to church painters and restorers in the summer, which gave him knowledge of fresco painting. He had to interrupt his studies in 1908/1909 for military service. After completing his studies in 1910, he settled in Innsbruck as a freelance artist. Shortly after the end of the First World War, in January 1919, he founded the Toni Kirchmayr School of Painting and Drawing in Innsbruck, which existed until his death and became the most important artistic training centre in Tyrol. Toni Kirchmayr created a versatile oeuvre ranging from landscapes, interiors and still lifes in oil to ornamentation and decorative art and large-format wall and ceiling frescoes. The landscape painting shows modern, colour-expressive features. Kirchmayr showed a special talent as a portraitist.
Oskar Kokoschka was an Austrian artist, poet, playwright, and teacher, renowned for his significant contributions to the Expressionist movement. Born on March 1, 1886, in Pöchlarn, Austria, Kokoschka's journey into the arts began against the backdrop of early 20th-century Vienna, a city vibrant with cultural ferment and avant-garde experimentation. Without formal training in painting, Kokoschka brought a unique perspective to his work, approaching the medium with a fresh, unencumbered eye that eschewed traditional methods in favor of intuitive, expressive techniques.
Kokoschka's early career was marked by an innovative approach to portraiture and landscape, characterized by intense expressionism and a deep psychological penetration of his subjects. His artistic philosophy was heavily influenced by 17th-century Czech humanist Jan Amos Comenius, from whom Kokoschka adopted the idea that learning and creativity flourish through sensory engagement and reasoning. This philosophy underpinned both his artistic output and his teaching methodology, which favored storytelling and the evocation of dramatic emotion over conventional art instruction.
Among Kokoschka's notable early works were his contributions to the Vienna Kunstschau and his involvement with the Wiener Werkstätte, which provided him opportunities to explore his artistic voice through various commissions, including postcards and illustrations for children's books. His autobiographical poem "Die träumenden Knaben" (The Dreaming Youths) and the related illustrations showcase his journey from Jugendstil to Expressionism, marking a pivotal moment in his career and in the development of modern art.
Kokoschka's tumultuous affair with Alma Mahler is well-documented, influencing some of his most acclaimed works, such as "The Bride of the Wind" (The Tempest), which vividly encapsulates their passionate, stormy relationship. This work, alongside others like "Portrait of a Young Girl" and "Knight Errant (Self-Portrait)", exemplifies Kokoschka's masterful use of color, form, and emotional intensity to convey complex psychological states and narratives.
Oskar Kokoschka's legacy as a pioneering figure in Expressionism is undisputed. His works continue to resonate with collectors and experts in art and antiques, not only for their aesthetic and emotional depth but also for their groundbreaking approach to visual storytelling and the exploration of the human condition. For those interested in the vibrant world of Expressionist art and the profound humanism of Kokoschka's oeuvre, signing up for updates on new product sales and auction events related to Oskar Kokoschka offers a unique opportunity to engage with the enduring impact of his work.
Elmar Kopp is an Austrian painter and sculptor, received artistic training from Toni Kirchmayr in Innsbruck. Despite losing his right hand in a work accident in 1949, he studied painting under Josef Dobrowsky and Herbert Boeckl, and sculpture under Fritz Wotruba at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from 1951. Kopp completed his studies in 1954 and became a freelance artist in Imst. He created landscape, floral, and figurative paintings, as well as numerous public artworks such as sculptures, frescoes, sgraffiti, and mosaics. Kopp also provided designs for stained glass windows and tapestries woven by his wife, Midi. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. In 1982, he was awarded the title of Professor by President Rudolf Kirchschläger.
Alfred Kornberger was an Austrian painter and graphic artist. He studied painting with Professor Robin Christian Andersen at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.
Stylistically, he dealt with the different facets of classical modernism and was inspired by Pablo Picasso's late work as well as by the depictions of surrealist artists. In his early years he devoted himself to various themes from the world of industry as well as topographical depictions. Later he turned almost exclusively to the depiction of the female nude.
Alfred Kornberger's work is part of the great Austrian tradition of body-oriented art, which ranges from Egon Schiele to Alfred Hrdlicka. His central theme, the female nude, is not only a projection of sensual desire but also an expression of psychological states.
Hilde Nöbl was an Austrian painter. Hilde Nöbl received her first artistic lessons in the years 1920 to 1930 with Max von Esterle and in the painting school of Toni Kirchmayr in Innsbruck and as a guest student in the sculpture class of Hans Pontiller at the Innsbruck State Trade School. 1 In 944/45 and 1951/52 she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. In 1952 she stayed in Paris on a grant from the French Cultural Institute. She then lived as a freelance artist in Innsbruck. She won prizes in public competitions for artistic wall decorations, including in 1953 for a mosaic in the Innsbruck Medical Clinic. Hilde Nöbl developed her pictorial language to a reduction of form and color, which is determined by clarity and calm. Her works, which include still lifes, landscapes and portraits, are compositions of large, colorful forms bordered by black lines, bordering on abstraction. The colors are limited to a few contrasting tones.
Wolfgang Robert Paalen was an Austrian-Mexican painter, sculptor, and art philosopher. A member of the Abstraction-Création group from 1934 to 1935, he joined the influential Surrealist movement in 1935 and was one of its prominent exponents until 1942. Whilst in exile in Mexico, he founded his own counter-surrealist art-magazine DYN, in which he summarized his critical attitude towards radical subjectivism and Freudo-Marxism in Surrealism with his philosophy of contingency. He rejoined the group between 1951 and 1954, during his sojourn in Paris.
Hermann Pedit is an Austrian painter and sculptor from Lienz. For some time he attended the Innsbruck School of Painting, then studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. He was a member of the Association of Academic Artists of East Tyrol, founded in 1956. Together with other artists, he co-founded the Vienna Synthese Gallery in 1958. Together with other artists, he founded the Municipal Gallery in Lienz in 1964. Hannes Hibler described Pedit as a classical painter, interested in eternal essence rather than fleeting moments.
Hanns Pellar was an Austrian painter and illustrator. He studied painting at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts under Heinrich Lefler.
Hanns Pellar was one of Munich's most prominent painters, whose quality craftsmanship and very pleasing images were characteristic of the Prince Regent's era. As a "favourite of various respected Darmstadt families", he produced a large number of portraits, especially of ladies, which eventually earned him the nickname "painter of elegance".
Arnulf Rainer is an Austrian artist who painted in the genre of informal abstract art.
From his early works the artist was inspired by the ideas of Surrealism. He also created works of art where he applied paint over photographs and works of other artists.
In the 1950s, Rainer painted a series of blindfold paintings in the technique of Surrealist automatism. In 1978 he received the Austrian Grand National Prize. Rainer has exhibited in New York, London, Vienna, Paris, Berlin and Munich. His works are in the collections of the Albertina, the Pompidou Center, the Stedelijk Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art.
Thomas Ring was a German astrologer, painter and poet.
Thomas Ring studied in the class of the graphic artist Emil Orlik. He was intensively involved in the emerging expressionism and abstract painting.
As a 'degenerate painter' and (from 1927) a member of the Communist Party, he and his family emigrated to Austria at the end of 1932. In 1943 and 1944 he worked at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Strasbourg during the Second World War. After Strasbourg was liberated from the Nazis by the Allies, both he and his wife were imprisoned in a French prisoner-of-war camp.
After his liberation from the camp, Thomas Ring returned to Austria in 1946. In 1952 he settled in the countryside in the Black Forest, Germany.
He took part in three exhibitions (1961 in Berlin, 1971 and 1973 in Cologne), in which he was presented as a constructivist and a member of Der Strum. In 1974, Dumont Studio Cologne held a solo exhibition with forty-seven of his works.
Gerhard Rühm is an Austrian author, composer and visual artist.
His artistic production is inspired by August Stramm, Kurt Schwitters, Gertrude Stein, Carl Einstein und Paul Scheerbart. Rühm's works are often located at the border between music, language, gestures and the visual. His audible works are outstanding examples of innovative radio plays and acoustic art. During a sojourn in Lebanon he became interested in eastern musical styles.
Ernst Matthias Schroffenegger was an Austrian painter. Ernst Schroffenegger studied mechanical engineering and electrical engineering and entered the service of the Austrian Federal Railways in 1923. In Innsbruck he received training in painting from Toni Kirchmayr and Max von Esterle and in fresco painting from Ernst Nepo. In 1943/44 he studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris with Othon Friesz. Schroffenegger created numerous murals, including for the Ruetz power station and the station buildings. At times he was on the board of directors of the Tiroler Künstlerschaft.
Rudolf Schwaiger is an Austrian painter and sculptor.
He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. His sculptures in bronze and wood - mainly of female figures - often have an element of sensuality, despite their massive and flamboyant poses.
Norbert Strolz was an Austrian artist who studied church painting with Toni Kirchmayr in Innsbruck. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts with Franz Elsner and Herbert Bekl, and received a scholarship to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence in 1953/54 under Otton Rosai. In 1965 he had his first solo exhibition at the Tiroler Kunstpavillon in Innsbruck. From 1960 he worked as a freelance artist in Landeck. He co-founded the Landeck District Museum Association and was its chairman from 1971 to 1990. He created many ceramics, frescoes, sgraffito and mosaics, especially in public buildings as part of the post-war Art in Architecture programme in Tyrol.
