Author Description

Although Austrian art stood in the international limelight during the last two decades before the First World War and took on renewed significance after 1945, the period between the wars has remained largely unknown - and with it the history of the drawing in Austria. The period which ended with Austria's political eradication and the inner and outward emigration of its artists witnessed a great variety of tendencies and the appearance of numerous significant artists, many of whom were prevented from developing their talents. This diversity of movements and personalities contributed to the formation of a complex and often contradictory stylistic image of the era. The spectrum of artistic approaches encompasses Constructivist positions, articulations of literary fantasy, echoes of fin de siecle and its characteristic eroticism, Austrian variations on the New Objectivity and Expressionist tendencies. This volume underscores the great significance of the drawing in the work of Austrian artists during the interim between World Wars. Aside from calling attention to undeservedly forgotten and neglected artists within the context of an overview of the period, this volume also endeavors to fill a blank space on the map of art with visible points of reference and to present materials from previously inaccessible private holdings and little-known public collections for the first time.