Karl Wiener

Karl Wiener, an Austrian artist renowned for his political and timely montages during the 1930s and 1940s, was posthumously hailed as the Austrian John Heartfield during a major retrospective exhibition at the Wien Museum. Born into a politically inclined family, Wiener's artistic journey began later in life, but his dedication and talent soon made him a standout figure in the Austrian art world. Wiener's father, Friedrich, was a proofreader at the Graz printing company "Typographia," which was owned by the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP). Karl, along with his father, remained a loyal member of the party until its dissolution by the corporate state in 1934. Before pursuing his artistic career, Wiener attended state high school and worked as a bank clerk in Graz and Munich. However, it was in 1924, at the age of 23, when he enrolled at the "Ständische Drawingsakademie" (State Art School) in Graz that his artistic journey truly began. He went on to study painting and graphics at the Vienna School of Applied Arts, where he was mentored by Bertold Löffler and Rudolf von Larisch until 1931. He further honed his graphic skills under Rudolf Jettmar and graduated in 1932. A travel grant allowed Wiener to explore Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and even Moscow in 1935. However, it was his hometown of Graz that remained close to his heart until his father's death in 1937. After this, he finally made the move to Vienna. From 1940 until his dismissal in 1947, Wiener taught at the Vienna School of Applied Arts. Following this, he increasingly worked as an illustrator for social democratic media. However, the bombing of his studio in Vienna in 1945 intensified his depression, and in 1949, he took his own life using light gas. Wiener's legacy lives on through his politically charged and time-sensitive montages, as well as his paintings and graphics. His works are not just visually arresting but also serve as powerful commentaries on the political and social landscapes of his time. Today, he is remembered as a pivotal figure in Austrian art history, whose contributions to the field remain influential and relevant.