Max Frey (painter, 1902)

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The proclamation of the Republic on October 30, 1918 (HGM )

Max Frey (born February 14, 1902 in Klosterneuburg ; † November 24, 1955 in Vienna ) was an Austrian landscape and portrait painter and draftsman for tapestries . He also designed postage stamps and posters, illustrated books and worked as a set designer.

Life

The drawing professor at the Realgymnasium in Klosterneuburg, Ludwig Karl Strauch, who had also discovered Egon Schiele's talent, noticed his extraordinary talent already during Max Frey's school days. From 1918 Frey attended the Vienna School of Applied Arts , where he was taught by Karl Sterrer , Anton Hanak and Adolf Michael Boehm . There he was introduced to the fresco technique . In 1922 he was awarded the Eitelberger Prize by the School of Applied Arts. In 1923 Frey worked temporarily for Anton Hanak, but in the same year switched to Karl Sterrer's master school at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts , where he graduated in 1926 with a degree in painting. During his studies Frey also worked in the glass workshop of Remigius Geyling and in the workshop of the puppeteer Richard Teschner . In 1925 his painting “Birth” was awarded the master school prize.

On August 22, 1925, he married Margarete Plischke, called Grete, a childhood friend and the sister of his best friend, the architect Ernst Plischke . As a trained hand weaver, Grete Frey made a. a. Fabrics for furniture designed by Ernst A. Plischke. Max and Grete Frey owned a studio together with Ernst Plischke at Marxergasse 1 in the 3rd district .

From 1925 to 1926, Max Frey designed the exhibition graphics for the Austrian Pavilion for the Great Exhibition for Health Care, Social Welfare and Physical Exercise ( GeSoLei ) in Düsseldorf . He also carried out graphic work for the “Hygiene Exhibition” in Vienna in 1925 and for the “Mother and Child” and “Vienna and the Viennese” exhibitions.

In 1932 he became a member of the Society of Visual Artists Vienna and was accepted into the Künstlerhaus . In 1934 he was awarded the State Prize for Works of Fine Art.

In 1934 he worked with Franz von Zülow for the Austria exhibition in the Dorland Hall in London . In 1936 Max Frey painted the 15 m long and 3 m high fresco "Redeemer in his suffering surrounded by martyrs" for the crypt of the Engelbertkirche in Hohe Wand in memory of the murdered Chancellor Dollfuss , which was destroyed by the National Socialists in 1938 . In 1937 he made the paintings for the Austrian representation room of the world exhibition in Paris .

From 1934 to 1937 Frey undertook several study trips, including to Yugoslavia , France , Italy and Switzerland . Then he worked as a stage artist at the Raimund Theater and the Volkstheater ; from 1940 also at the Vienna Volksoper . In 1946 Frey was appointed to the Higher Graphic Federal Teaching and Research Institute , where he led a class for color composition and book illustration .

In 1938, Max Frey, as a member of the Society of Visual Artists Vienna, submitted three works for an exhibition in the Künstlerhaus. The relief organization for German fine arts (HBK) informed him by letter of July 25, 1938 that the pictures did not correspond to the artistic intentions of National Socialism and would therefore be rejected. From 1940 Max Frey was temporarily employed as a war painter. He painted destroyed cities and devastated landscapes, which show the consequences of the war. In 1943 he participated in the Vienna State Opera in the execution of the Iron Curtain based on a design by Franz Kralicek .

In 1946 Max Frey got a job as a teacher at the Federal Graphical Training and Research Institute in Vienna. In 1947 he was awarded the small gold medal of the Professional Association of Fine Artists in Austria and in 1949 he was awarded the title of professor.

In 1952, on the occasion of his 50th birthday, he exhibited 60 pictures at the spring exhibition of the Künstlerhaus. The Künstlerhaus awarded him the Great Gold Medal of Honor and the Federal Ministry of Education honored him with the City of Vienna Prize.

Max Frey died of lung cancer on November 26, 1955. Max Frey-Gasse in Klosterneuburg is named after the artist.

Exhibitions

At the following exhibitions were u. a. Works by Max Frey shown:

Awards

  • 1932 Austrian State Prize
  • 1934 Austrian State Prize
  • 1942 sponsorship award for the exhibition "The beautiful image of women in Vienna"
  • 1949 Awarded the title of professor
  • 1950 Honorary Prize of the City of Vienna
  • 1951 Large gold medal
  • 1952 Ministry of Education Prize
  • Holder of the Eitelberger and Master School Prize

Works

Paintings by Max Frey are now in the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere , the Wien Museum , the Albertina , the Museum of Applied Arts , the Army History Museum and the museums of Berlin , Saarbrücken and Trieste .

  • The proclamation of the republic from the balcony of the Lower Austria country house in Herrengasse in Vienna on October 30, 1918 , oil on canvas, Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna
  • Wall painting Engelbert Dollfuß together with Jesus and martyrs in Engelbertkirche Hohe Wand

Web links

  • Berthild Zierl: Max Frey. Biography. Professional Association of Fine Artists Austria. Retrieved July 24, 2016 .

literature

  • Frey, Max . In: Hans Vollmer (Hrsg.): General Lexicon of Fine Artists of the XX. Century. tape 2 : E-J . EA Seemann, Leipzig 1955, p. 157 .
  • Heinrich Fuchs: The Austrian painters of the 20th century , Vienna 1985, volume 1, p. K 218

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Profil, monthly architecture magazine, issue 3/1934, p. VIII
  2. ^ Berthild Zierl: Max Frey. Biography. Professional Association of Fine Artists Austria. Retrieved July 24, 2016 .
  3. ^ Catalog for the exhibition "Between Westwall and Maginot Line" in the Saarland Museum in Saarbrücken from 1941
  4. ^ Heinrich Fuchs: The Austrian Painters of the 20th Century , Vienna 1985, Volume 1, p. K 218
  5. ↑ City Hall correspondence of the City of Vienna, reports from July 1950, on wien.gv.at , accessed on August 14, 2012
  6. ^ Army History Museum / Military History Institute (ed.): The Army History Museum in the Vienna Arsenal . Verlag Militaria , Vienna 2016, ISBN 978-3-902551-69-6 , p. 132
personal data
SURNAME Frey, Max
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian painter
DATE OF BIRTH February 14, 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH Klosterneuburg
DATE OF DEATH November 24, 1955
Place of death Vienna