(c) 2017 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston

Hans Böhler

Vienna, 1884 - 1961, Vienna

BiographyHans Böhler (1884 Vienna – 1961 Vienna) Hans Böhler began his art education as a student at the private school, Jaschke in Vienna and later at the Vienna Akademie. During this period, Bohler was personal friends with fellow artists Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. In 1905 he became member of the artist group Jungbund as well as Künstlerhaus Wien (The Vienna Artist’s Association) founded by Carl Hollitzer. Boehler joined the Hagenbund (a local artist’s club also known as Künstlerbund Hagen) after it was formed in 1899.

Works by Bohler were shown in the Kunstschau-1908 (Art Show Vienna, 1908, considered a landmark event in Viennese modernism ) led by Gustav Klimt and Joseph Hoffman as well as Vienna Secession´s spring-exhibition. In 1909 he joined the avant-garde Neukunstgruppe (New Art Group) founded by Egon Schiele with members Albert Paris Gütersloh, Oskar Kokoschka, Franz Wiegele and Anton Faistauer, and exhibited together with them in the known Vienna gallery Salon Pisko. He travelled to Russia, China, Japan and India (1910/11) as well as to South- and North-America in 1913/14. In 1914 he shared a studio in Krumau, Czech Republic with Egon Schiele and Ludwig Heinrich Jungnickel.

In the same year, Bohler commissioned Egon Schiele to paint a portrait of his companion Friederike Beer Monti. Three years later another portrait of Beer Monti was executed by Gustav Klimt. Exhibitions of his works took place in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Munich and a solo-show was organized by the Vienna Gallery Arnot. In 1919/1920 he lived in Tessin and Zurich, Switzerland and then he settled again in Vienna and started showing his works in The Secession´s exhibitions. His studio interior was planned by architect and friend Josef Hoffmann. In 1928 Bohler became member of the Österreichische Werkbund (Austrian Cultural Association co-founded by Adolf Bachoften and Joseph Hoffmann) for whom he designed postcards and in 1936 he was honored with the Österreichischen Staatspreis (the Austrian State prize).

From 1936 to 1950 he lived in the USA and then returned to Austria. In 1954 the City of Vienna awarded him with the city´s Honorary Prize.

Being the same generation as Kokoschka and Schiele, Bohler is considered very important and closely connected to developments in early Austrian expressionism. Boehler was interested in bringing color to maximal independence without undermining the strength of the narrative.

“Anyone seeing his paintings with their wondrously transparent, enamel-cast fiery flows of color will be grateful to him for this...” Arthur Roessler 1927/28

Works by Hans Böhler can be found in the following museums: Albertina, Vienna; Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna; Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien, Vienna; Leopold Museum, Vienna; Vienna Academy; Kupferstichkabinett der Wiener Akademie, Vienna.

http://www.richardrhoda.com/index_Hans_Bohler.htm I.S. 10/24/2018

Person TypeIndividual

Last Updated8/7/24

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