Description:

Eugene Biel-Bienne (Austrian/American, 1902-1969), "Untitled", 3 watercolors on paper, each monogrammed lower margin, each 24 in. x 18 in., framed alike. (3 pcs.). Provenance: Natchez Art Association. Note: Eugene Biel-Bienne was born in Vienna, Austria in 1902. He was an avid student, eventually earning a PhD in Art History at the University of Cologne. He split his time primarily between Paris and Vienna, two thriving cultural havens particularly in the first half of the twentieth century. In 1936, Biel-Bienne had a show at the prestigious Wildenstein in Paris. The exhibit was a resounding success with local Parisian publication, La Liberté, exclaiming: “Biel’s fecundity and imagination equal Picasso’s: his intensity too. One thinks also of the great tradition, of Daumier, of Forain; but one realizes soon that one is confronted with a unique artist.” His strong association with the Paris School, Wassily Kandinsky in particular, certainly influenced his own art as is evidenced in the trio of watercolors offered here where form and figure are suggested through a series of quick and emotive brushstrokes. An outspoken critic of the Nazis in World War II, Biel-Bienne would air his furious commentary through the radio and was thus forced to flee Austria for Paris, then subsequently Paris for the United States, where he taught classes at several prestigious institutions including Fordham University, Parsons School of Design, and finally Vanderbilt University. When applying to Vanderbilt, his application included letters of recommendation from such luminaries as Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, and Marc Chagall. Ref.: Guider, John. “Biel-Bienne | The Forgotten Master.” Nashville Arts Magazine. May 25, 2017. www.nashvillearts.com. Accessed Mar. 21, 2019.

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April 14, 2019 11:00 AM CDT
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