Aloys Wach
Encyclopedia
Aloys Wach or Aloys Ludwig Wachelmayr (sometimes Wachelmeier, April 30, 1892 – April 18, 1940) was an Austria
n expressionist
painter and graphic artist. He was born in Lambach
, Upper Austria
and died in Braunau
, Upper Austria
. While his birth places him close to the generation that laid the foundations of modern art and especially expressionism, his life as an artist, however, began after cubism
, futurism
and the expressionists of the Der Blaue Reiter
and Die Brücke
movements had initiated a time of great changes. In his later life, Wach abandoned his artistic roots and distanced himself from his early expressionist works by turning to religious imagery. Today, however, those early works are seen as his greatest accomplishments.
Wach decided to become an artist early on in his life, and already arrived in Vienna
at the young age of 17, but initially suffered a series of setbacks. He was rejected as a student by the Academy in Munich
and attempted unsuccessfully to study art in Vienna
. He received formal education at the Knirr-Sailer painting school in Munich as well as, in 1913, at Académie Colarossi
in Paris
. He finished his studies with Heinrich Altherr
in Stuttgart
.
In 1912, he briefly moved to Berlin
. There, he met painter and graphic artist Jacob Steinhardt
, who encouraged him to abandon older forms of expression and be courageous in the search for his own style. Wach was also confronted with the activities at the just opened Der Sturm Galerie, the German
center of expressionism. Although it is not known for certain, he also probably saw the Blaue Reiter Exhibition and the first exhibits of the futurist
movement.
He then moved on to Paris
, where he stayed from 1913 to 1914. He befriended Amedeo Modigliani
and got introduced to some of the painters at Bateau-Lavoir. He must also have seen work by Robert Delaunay
. He quickly understood the importance of the new structures in painting. In that period, he created mainly expressionist-cubist drawings, etchings and wood carvings. During his stay in Paris, he also met his most important friend and supporter, Ernest L. Tross, whom he should meet again in Vienna (1919) and Munich (1931).
Wach served in World War I
in non-combative assignments. In 1916/7, he published seven woodcuts to accompany a poem by F.R. Zenz, Kriegstotentanz 1914.
1919-1920 wood carving cycle "Der verlorene Sohn". From 1920 he created expressionist still lifes, landscape paintings and portraits in Braunau, but later distanced himself from paintings of this period.
1956 posthumous exhibitions with graphics in Hollywood and at the Country Museum in Los Angeles. Was not allowed to paint during the Nazi regime. Created two windows for hospital church in Braunau.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n expressionist
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
painter and graphic artist. He was born in Lambach
Lambach
Lambach is a market town in the Wels-Land district of Upper Austria, Austria, on the Ager and Traun Rivers. It has a population of 3,242 as of 2001. A major stop on the salt trade, it is the site of the Lambach Abbey, built around 1056.-Notable inhabitants:...
, Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
and died in Braunau
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
, Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
. While his birth places him close to the generation that laid the foundations of modern art and especially expressionism, his life as an artist, however, began after cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
, futurism
Futurism (art)
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city...
and the expressionists of the Der Blaue Reiter
Der Blaue Reiter
Der Blaue Reiter was a group of artists from the Neue Künstlervereinigung München in Munich, Germany. The group was founded by a number of Russian emigrants, including Wassily Kandinsky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, and native German artists, such as Franz Marc, August Macke and...
and Die Brücke
Die Brücke
Die Brücke was a group of German expressionist artists formed in Dresden in 1905, after which the Brücke Museum in Berlin was named. Founding members were Fritz Bleyl, Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Later members were Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein and Otto Mueller...
movements had initiated a time of great changes. In his later life, Wach abandoned his artistic roots and distanced himself from his early expressionist works by turning to religious imagery. Today, however, those early works are seen as his greatest accomplishments.
Wach decided to become an artist early on in his life, and already arrived in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
at the young age of 17, but initially suffered a series of setbacks. He was rejected as a student by the Academy in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and attempted unsuccessfully to study art in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He received formal education at the Knirr-Sailer painting school in Munich as well as, in 1913, at Académie Colarossi
Académie Colarossi
The Académie Colarossi is an art school founded by the Italian sculptor Filippo Colarossi. First located on the Île de la Cité, it moved in the 1870s to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, France....
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He finished his studies with Heinrich Altherr
Heinrich Altherr
Heinrich Altherr was a Swiss painter.-References:*This article was initially translated from the German Wikipedia....
in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
.
In 1912, he briefly moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. There, he met painter and graphic artist Jacob Steinhardt
Jacob Steinhardt
Jacob Steinhardt was an Israeli painter and woodcut artist.-Biography:Jacob Steinhardt was born in Żerków, Germany . He attended the School of Art in Berlin in 1906, then studied painting with Louis Corinth and engraving with Hermann Struck in 1907...
, who encouraged him to abandon older forms of expression and be courageous in the search for his own style. Wach was also confronted with the activities at the just opened Der Sturm Galerie, the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
center of expressionism. Although it is not known for certain, he also probably saw the Blaue Reiter Exhibition and the first exhibits of the futurist
Futurism (art)
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city...
movement.
He then moved on to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he stayed from 1913 to 1914. He befriended Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form...
and got introduced to some of the painters at Bateau-Lavoir. He must also have seen work by Robert Delaunay
Robert Delaunay
Robert Delaunay was a French artist who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, cofounded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes. His later works were more abstract, reminiscent of Paul Klee...
. He quickly understood the importance of the new structures in painting. In that period, he created mainly expressionist-cubist drawings, etchings and wood carvings. During his stay in Paris, he also met his most important friend and supporter, Ernest L. Tross, whom he should meet again in Vienna (1919) and Munich (1931).
Wach served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in non-combative assignments. In 1916/7, he published seven woodcuts to accompany a poem by F.R. Zenz, Kriegstotentanz 1914.
1919-1920 wood carving cycle "Der verlorene Sohn". From 1920 he created expressionist still lifes, landscape paintings and portraits in Braunau, but later distanced himself from paintings of this period.
1956 posthumous exhibitions with graphics in Hollywood and at the Country Museum in Los Angeles. Was not allowed to paint during the Nazi regime. Created two windows for hospital church in Braunau.
External links
- Wach, Aloys at www.aeiou.at Aloys Wach at aeiou.at