Oil on wood;
Monogrammed lower left;
26.57 × 14.76 in inch
The versatile oeuvre of Rudolf Heinz Keppel combines a solid academic tradition with an expressive, modern formal language. In his figurative oil paintings, the artist placed almost exclusively the human figure or groups of figures at the center of his compositions. Characteristic of his work is a free yet precise brushwork, paired with strong chromatic contrasts.
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In order to emphasize the psychological presence of his subjects, he deliberately reduced and distorted the surrounding pictorial space. Awarded the prestigious Rome Prize, the artist was also highly active in the public sphere, designing large-scale, space-defining frescoes and stained-glass works for sacred buildings. His significant cultural-political recognition in the Austrian post-war modern period is reflected in his tenure as president of the Vienna Künstlerhaus from 1954 to 1961. Today, his rare works are a fascinating discovery for collectors who appreciate the tension between figurative tradition and abstraction.
