Wilhelm Kaufmann (painter, 1895)

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Wilhelm Kaufmann (born May 25, 1895 in Vienna , Austria ; † February 14, 1975 there ) was a well-known Austrian painter from Oskar Kokoschka's environment and a member of the Hagenbund . His focus was on landscape , nudes , portraits , still life , flowers and sports.

resume

Wilhelm Kaufmann was born on May 25, 1895 as the eighth son of Anton Kaufmann and Katharina Kaufmann (née Eigl) in Vienna, where he attended the secondary school in Vienna-Ottakring from 1905–1909. Since he portrayed his teachers and classmates during class, on the advice of the school principal, the father encouraged his son's artistic training. In 1910 he attended the painting school at St. Anna in Vienna. After just one year, at the age of 16, he was accepted as the youngest applicant to the Imperial Royal Academy of Fine Arts after passing an entrance examination, where he took part in training under Rudolf Bacher from 1911 to 1914 .

During the First World War , Wilhelm Kaufmann spent three years (1915–1918) on the Russian-Albanian front, where he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit. He then worked as a freelance painter, took part in the first art exhibition after the First World War in the glass house of the Vienna Burggarten and in exhibitions of the Vienna Secession . In 1920 he married Emilie Kovarik, who had a son that same year. Wilhelm Kaufmann was still very active artistically, becoming a member of the Sonderbund Österreichischer Künstler (Faistauergruppe together with Oskar Kokoschka , Anton Faistauer , Anton Kolig , Herbert Boeckl and others) from 1920–1935 and a member of the Vienna Art Association . From 1927 he was a member of the Wiener Hagenbund and took part in the exhibitions of the Künstlerbund Hagen. Between 1938 and 1945 he was banned from working and he was forcibly placed as an unskilled worker in the Kienast gear factory.

From 1945 to 1956 he was head of the painting section in the professional association for the fine arts and in 1946 took part in the anti-fascist exhibition “Never Forget” in the Künstlerhaus Vienna. In the same year he became a member of the Vienna Secession . In 1947 he was awarded the state honorary prize for painting on the occasion of the first major Austrian exhibition of the professional association of Austrian artists. On behalf of the state, he portrayed Federal President Karl Renner in 1948 and received the commission from the municipality of Vienna for two portraits of the Olympic javelin thrower Herma Bauma . The Austrian Gallery bought a flower still life from him. He also exhibited in London at the Art Exhibition, Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1949, the Federal President was awarded the title of Professor , as well as an international exhibition of sports images as part of the Olympics. The Swedish royal family also acquired one of his flower still lifes (1950) at an exhibition in Stockholm. From this year he is a member of the Society of Visual Artists Vienna in the Künstlerhaus, where he also exhibited. Further honors followed: B. 1953 the recognition diploma for painting and graphics on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Helsinki , the gold medal of honor of the Vienna Künstlerhaus on the occasion of the centenary of the Künstlerhaus by the Society of Visual Artists (1961) and the awarding of the "Golden Laurel" of the Vienna Künstlerhaus (1965). In 1967 his wife Emilie died. On February 14, 1975, Wilhelm Kaufmann died in Vienna as a result of flu pneumonia.

characterization

Wilhelm Kaufmann was one of the color dynamics experts in his main career. Kaufmann creates dynamism by consciously using short brushstrokes, which he puts spontaneously and impulsively on the canvas and gives his pictures movement.

In his earlier works, the academic painting tradition is still clearly recognizable. Softer, subdued colors are used, the brushstroke is not yet as animated. Kaufmann is increasingly moving away from the traditional in favor of an expressive, expressive painting style. Especially after the Second World War , Kaufmann developed and consolidated his dynamic line. His better life situation is also noticeable in a freer brushwork. After 1945 the color appeared to an increased extent and its expressive effect was used. He prefers to paint in the great outdoors. In the course of numerous excursions to Italy, France and Croatia, Kaufmann creates views of the south depicted in glowing colors.

The acquaintance with Viktor Matejka , the then Vienna City Councilor for Culture, reinforced Kaufmann's interest in dealing with the subject of sport. On the occasion of the Summer Olympics in London in 1948, the municipality of Vienna commissioned him to make two portraits of the Olympic champion in the javelin throw, Herma Bauma . From 1948 onwards , Kaufmann began to capture scenes from the world of sports on screen. Pole vault, soccer, cycling, boxing - it is the dynamic moment and the moment of movement that fascinates the artist. Quasi-photographic snapshots are created, the drama of which is particularly enhanced by the choice of a narrow image section. Kaufmann himself was active and successful as an athlete in speed skating and table tennis.

Another important topic group are pictures with everyday scenes. Whether in a park or in a coffee house, Kaufmann shows few details. Nevertheless, his works convey a feeling of closeness, warmth and security.

Works (selection)

Vienna Museum
  • Portrait “Dr. Ernst Stransky ”, oil on canvas, 100 × 80 cm, 1947
  • Portrait “Dr. Friedrich Funder ” , oil on canvas, 100 × 80 cm
  • Portrait “ Herma Bauma ”, oil on canvas, 101 × 80 cm, 1948
  • Portrait " Viktor Matejka ", oil on canvas, 100 × 80 cm, 1949
  • Portrait " Hans Pfitzner ", chalk on paper, 61.5 × 48.5 cm, 1949
  • Forest path, tempera on paper, 70.5 × 56 cm, 1947
  • View of the Kahlenberg , 14 × 20 cm
  • On the Danube Canal, tempera on paper, 50 × 64 cm
City of Vienna, cultural department
  • Construction of the Marienbrücke, oil on canvas, 72 × 94 cm, 1953
  • View of Steinhof, oil / chipboard, 52.5 × 63.3 cm, 1953
  • Landscape Nevers, oil / canvas, 50 × 65 cm, 1955
  • Winterhafen, oil / wood, 40 × 50 cm, 1956
  • Portrait “Dr. Karl Renner ”, Federal President from 1945 to 1950, oil on canvas, 136 × 98 cm, 1948
  • Nude, watercolor / paper, 57 × 37 cm, 1955
  • Nordwestbahnbrücke, tempera / paper, 50 × 66 cm, 1956
  • Mali Losin, tempera / paper, 1958
Lower Austrian State Museum, St. Pölten

15 views of Lower Austria

Literature and Sources

  • Wilhelm Kaufmann - Life and Works, Edition Martin Suppan , 1992.
  • Wilhelm Kaufmann's still lifes - diploma thesis by Ms. Elke Zingler, 1997.
  • Galerie Szaal & Galerie Ziwna, exhibition catalog on the occasion of the Vienna International Antiques Fair 2000 in the Vienna Künstlerhaus.
  • Kind regards - Blumenbilder, Breitschopf Verlag, 2000.
  • Dear mother - flower pictures, Breitschopf Verlag / Weltbild Verlag, 2008.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Kaufmann, Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian painter, color dynamist, Hagenbund
DATE OF BIRTH May 25, 1895
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna , Austria
DATE OF DEATH February 14, 1975
Place of death Vienna , Austria