0022

Starting out from the design principles of Art Nouveau, between graphic stylisation and a special feel for picturesque, atmospheric images, Josef Stoitzner arrived at his personal, unique style of painting, characterised by a highly sophisticated, fine, detailed and precise touch. He did not aspire to capture a landscape in the moment, but instead always sought to depict the timeless beauty of nature. And the artist achieved this in a masterly manner.

In this painting, “Tanzlehen in Bramberg”, the viewer is presented with a winter landscape with a sweeping view from a low-lying vantage point up to the snow-covered, majestic peaks of the mountains, which are bathed in a lovely, auspicious light by the sun. In the foreground are fences, small trees, a tall, bare tree on the left side of the picture, which adds to the sense of depth of the foreground and background, and village houses. The snow has added wintry adornment to the scene. Behind the village wooded, snow-covered slopes lead one’s gaze further, right up to the highest reaches of the towering mountains. With a penchant for the lyrical, he leaves the village scene and the rising hills in shadow, leaving only the peaks evocatively illuminated by the sun's rays. The high horizon has been skilfully positioned so as to support the viewer’s sweeping gaze and to emphasise the grandeur of the mountain formations. Both a realistic and a romanticised mode of expression are inherent to this masterly painting. Another characteristic feature is the stillness that lies over the deserted view. Josef Stoitzner deliberately decided to omit the narrative element of humans and animals in order to avoid distracting the viewer from the beauty of nature depicted here. This work exemplifies Stoitzner’s oeuvre and his special ability to convey an evocative mood, as well as his fine powers of observation for every detail, no matter how tiny. The successful artist’s landscape paintings were thus already in great demand during his lifetime and awakened a longing for unspoilt, beautiful nature, particularly among the urban middle classes.
(Sophie Höfer)