“An extraordinary lifetime’s work in painting.”
Franz Feuchtl was an Austrian contemporary painter whose artistic journey began remarkably late. Only in old age did he discover painting for himself – and within a short time developed an impressive creative power, leaving behind museum-quality original paintings.
Franz Feuchtl discovered painting late in life, yet art had long been part of his inner world.
At the age of seventy-eight, he began a remarkable creative journey that would lead to the creation of more than seven hundred paintings and drawings. What emerged was not the work of ambition, but the expression of a deeply personal vision shaped by life experience, love of nature and a profound appreciation of beauty and humanity.
Painting became for Franz Feuchtl a source of joy, freedom and contemplation. Inspired by the natural world and by the richness of human experience, he developed a distinctive artistic language marked by emotional depth, symbolism and an authentic spirit.
His former studio, now part of Haus Feuchtl, remains a place where his creative presence can still be felt. Today, his works form the heart of the Feuchtl Collection and continue to inspire future generations.
Franz Feuchtl was born on 30 January 1914 in Vienna and died on 27 January 2007 in Tulln. The middle of three children, he grew up in modest circumstances – his mother a seamstress, his father a shoemaker.
A creative urge showed in him early on, leading him first to literature. In his younger years he sought to establish himself as a writer and playwright. Yet the hoped-for artistic breakthrough never came. As a teacher and senior civil servant his livelihood was secure. His creativity now found expression in shaping his wife’s family home – today’s “Haus Feuchtl” in Purkersdorf near Vienna – to which he devoted himself with great passion.
In 1955 his daughter Brigitte was born, another focal point of his life.
Until his death at 93 he created an extensive body of more than 700 paintings – predominantly gouache on paper, original and unique works.
Franz Feuchtl’s works emerged from an inner world of images that opened up only in old age. Clear forms, luminous colours and symbolic elements combine into a distinctive, timeless visual language rooted in expressionism and symbolism.
These are paintings of great clarity and, at the same time, quiet mystery. Each work invites you to pause and discover a personal meaning in it. The reduced, almost archaic depiction of the figures gives the works a timeless, museum-quality character.
Further works from the catalogue – click to enlarge.