Alfred Buchta (Trento 1880 - 1952 Vienna)

Lot description

ALFRED BUCHTA (Trento 1880 - 1952 Vienna) Pierrot and dancer oil/cardboard 27,4 x 21,5 cm signed A Buchta SCHÄTZPREIS / ESTIMATE € 800 - 1600 STARTPREIS / STARTING PRICE € 800 Small-scale figure depictions are at the heart of Alfred Buchta's artistic work. The painter, based in Hietzing, received his first training at the modern painting school of Anton Ažbe, which was also attended by Wassily Kandinsky and Alexej von Jawlensky. Buchta then studied together with Anton Faistauer and Anton Kolig at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, in the painting class of Alois Delug. After a brief stint as an official in the financial administration and as an art teacher in Trieste, he moved to Venice, where he worked as a freelance artist and art critic. After World War I, he returned to Vienna and became a member of the Vienna Künstlerhaus. The Pierrot and the Dancer transports us into the fantastic world of the circus, though Buchta doesn't show us a glamorous performance in the ring, but rather a glimpse behind the scenes. The dancer and the clown are preparing for their big performance. The evening show in the small town, hinted at by the church tower on the left side of the painting, is about to begin. The blue-violet tones of the painting create a melancholic mood, which Buchta captures in his typical, sketch-like painting style. The dancer has taken a seat on a chair in the background, raising her arms to give the final touches to her hairstyle. In elegantly pointed shoes, the white clown stands before the viewer, arms crossed, directing attention to his face. In contrast to the dancer, the clown’s facial features are exaggerated by makeup and therefore more distinctly presented. The origins of Pierrot date back to the 17th century, merging elements of French theater and the Commedia dell'arte. Since the theater of that time did not have a license for spoken performances, Pierrot remained silent. His sadness stems from his unrequited love for Columbine, who breaks his heart, leaves him, and chooses Harlequin instead. To this day, the lovable mime symbolizes unrequited love, the ups and downs of life, and the masks we often wear in the presence of others. Our Pierrot lingers for a brief moment before grabbing his drum and heading to the stage to perform for us. Alfred Buchta was an Austrian artist. Buchta attended Anton Azbé's private painting school in Munich (another graduate was Wassily Kandinsky). He then studied at the Vienna Academy from 1903 to 1909 under Alois Delug. His fellow students included Anton Faistauer and Anton Kolig. At his parents' request, Buchta initially pursued a career as a civil servant, but he also taught as a drawing teacher. He soon ended these activities and settled in Venice as an art critic. After military service in the First World War, Buchta settled in Vienna and worked exclusively as a painter. In 1919, he became a member of the Vienna Künstlerhaus, whose exhibitions he regularly attended. He gained fame with his landscape paintings and colourful floral still lifes. A special feature of his work are the small formats of his pictures. PLEASE NOTE: The purchase price consists of the highest bid plus the buyer's premium, sales tax and, if applicable, the fee of artists resale rights. In the case of normal taxation (marked ° at the estimate), a premium of 24% is added to the highest bid. The mandatory sales tax is added to the sum of the highest bid and the buyer's premium. This amounts to 13% for paintings, drawings, graphic works and sculptures and 20% for photographs and all other items. The buyer's premium amounts to 28% in case of differential taxation. The sales tax is included in the differential taxation.