Herta Czoernig (1886-1970) - Pair of Early 20thC Etchings Composer's Homes

Description

A delightful pair of etchings depicting the cobbled square of Pfarrplatz in Heiligenstadt, birthplace of Beethoven, and the grand entrance to the German baroque monastery of St Florian, birthplace of Anton Bruckner. Each etching is accompanied by a piece of music within by the composers. Signed and titled in graphite. Well presented in glazed gilt frames with cotton mounts. On paper.

Condition

The condition is typical for a picture of this age including some discolouration.

Size

20.1 x 18.7cm (7.9" x 7.4")
Framed Size: 37.9 x 35.1cm (14.9" x 13.8")

Artist Biography

All her life, Herta Czoernig roamed through the city of Vienna and the surrounding countryside with her sketch pad, crayon and set of color pencils capturing the picturesque streets, homes and scenery. She is generally considered to have been the last "topographical" artist in Vienna.
Born in Klagenfurt, she wanted to become an artist from the time she was a young girl. Women were not accepted as students at the Graphic Academy of Vienna in those days so she attended the Art School for Women and later studied in Weimar, Germany. In Vienna, Professor Ludwig Michalek taught her the difficult medium of etching. The large number of etchings she later created are today sought by lovers of the medium as well as lovers of Vienna.
Herta Czoernig's artistry received recognition principally after World War II, through her etchings of the homes of musicians and composers in Vienna. Each of these has a vignette containing a few bars of music relating to the scene.
In addition to the growing public interest in her work, she was recognized by the Historical Documentation Center of the Austrian National Library because many of her etchings were the only surviving documents of streets and houses in Vienna destroyed during the war. Today many of her works are in the archives of the National Library.
Her greatest honor came shortly before her death. The Albertina Museum in Vienna, home of one of the world's greatest collections of graphics, commissioned Herta Czoernig to make a plate featuring the Albertina itself. She died soon after completing this etching, her life's ambition fulfilled.