Austrian Painting 1945-1995

Wieland Schmied

Painting which has emerged from Austria over the past fifty years is now an integral part of the international art world and has made an important contribution to artistic developments since the end of World War II. The earlier years are represented by such significant artists as Arnulf Rainer, Maria Lassnig, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and Joseph Mikl. The next generation includes Hermann Nitsch, Gunter Brus, Martha Jungwirth, and Christian Ludwig Attersee. The collection is completed by recent artists, including Siegfried Anzinger, Erwin Bohatsch, Herbert Brandl, Gunter Damisch, and Hubert Scheibel. In a remarkable collaboration between independent specialist and collector, Wieland Schmied, the renowned contemporary art historian and acknowledged expert on Austrian painting joined Karlheinz and Agnes Essl to form the most important collection of late 20th-century Austrian painting in the world. By continuously buying the finest works available, they succeeded in acquiring complete groups of paintings from significant artists. The collection now comprises more than 3,000 works. Some 250 works by 42 artists have been selected from this vast collection by Wieland Schmied and the collectors.