Austrian Painting, 1945-95 : The Essl Collection

The Essl Collection, started in 1975, is an important collection of late 20th-century Austrian painting, comprising as it does over 3000 works.

It contains some of the finest works by important artists of the period, and charts the multi-faceted development of Austrian art.

By selling the less representative examples and buying the finest works available, the Essl family has built up the best collection of recent Austrian painting in the world.

The collection is to be exhibited in Vienna in spring 1996, in a celebration of Austrian painting.

This book, accompanying the exhibition, offers some 250 works by 41 artists.

The artists, listed chronologically, are represented by between four and ten works, supplemented by photographs and biographical notes.

The earlier years are represented by internationally significant artists such 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 the most recent artists, including Siegfried Anzinger, Erwin Bohatsch, Herbert Brandl, Gunter Damisch, and Hubert Scheibel.