Josef Gassler was an Austrian

Expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

painter. He was born in

Austerlitz Austerlitz may refer to: History * Battle of Austerlitz, an 1805 victory by the French Grand Army of Napoleon Bonaparte Places * Austerlitz, German name for Slavkov u Brna in the Czech Republic, which gave its name to the Battle of Austerlitz a ...

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The m ...

, on 6 March 1893 and died in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

on 27 April 1978. After early success at the Wiener Kunstakademie, where he received several awards including the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

, the artist was later impeded in mid-career by the outbreak of war. Initially, enduring extreme poverty and oppressed by the First World War, he inclined towards melancholy subjects and an emotionally charged style with touches of the movement called

Neue Sachlichkeit The New Objectivity (in german: Neue Sachlichkeit) was a movement in German art that arose during the 1920s as a reaction against expressionism. The term was coined by Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub, the director of the '' Kunsthalle'' in Mannheim, w ...

.Josef Gassler 1893-1978. Catalogue with Vorwort by Rudolf Minichbauer, Galerie Walfischgasse, Wien, March 2010 Josef Gassler lived in Paris from 1927 to 1930, travelled in Italy and the South of France and to

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

, Karlovy Vary and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. After settling in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, he spent winters in cosmopolitan Prague where gained recognition.Josef Gassler: The beginning of my journey, 1893-1916. Translated with an introductory note by Eve Stwertka. New York, Copyright 2005. He occasionally designed porcelain and glass for Moser and other Czechoslovak manufacturers and worked on murals and theatrical scenery. Gassler's career falters with the coming of

Fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...

, when Germany introduced the concept of degenerate arts. The German invasion of Czechoslovakia was followed by World War II, in turn followed by Communist occupation. In 1945 Gassler returned to Vienna, where he continued to work, mainly painting portraits, landscapes and flower studies. Josef Gassler exhibited in the

Salon des Independants Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (Pa ...

, the Wiener Sezession, the Kuenstlerhaus, the

Rudolfinum The Rudolfinum is a building in Prague, Czech Republic. It is designed in the neo-renaissance style and is situated on Jan Palach Square on the bank of the river Vltava. Since its opening in 1885, it has been associated with music and art. Curr ...

and in private galleries. On his 70th birthday he received the Golden Laurel award from the Wiener Kuenstlerhaus. His work is found at the Oesterreichische Galerie as well as in private collections in Austria, Germany, England and the United States.

Notes

References

*''Josef Gassler: The beginning of my journey'', 1893-1916. Translated with an introductory note by Eve Stwertka. New York, Copyright 2005. *''Josef Gassler'' 1893-1978. Catalogue with Vorwort by Rudolf Minichbauer, Galerie Walfischgasse, Wien, March 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gassler, Josef 1893 births 1978 deaths 20th-century Austrian painters Austrian male painters Austrian Expressionist painters 20th-century Austrian male artists