Fritz Novotny

Fritz Novotny ( born February 10, 1903 in Vienna, † April 16, 1983 ) was an Austrian art historian.

Life

Novotny studied art history at the University of Vienna under Josef Strzygowski and received his doctorate with a dissertation on the Romanesque architectural sculpture at the apse of the parish church of Schöngrabern in Lower Austria. From 1927 he was an assistant at the Institute Strzygowski. In 1937 he habilitated with the study of Cézanne and the end of the scientific perspective, which became a standard work of Cézanne research and Novotny fame established as an internationally recognized expert in the art of Paul Cézanne. In the course of this work Novotny made ​​the acquaintance of the painter Gerhart Frankl, who was influenced in his own creative style of Cézanne and grappled in theoretical statements with his French model. From initial technical discussions soon formed a lifelong friendship, which was reflected in an extensive correspondence developed. As Frankl in 1938 had to flee to England, he sought immediately in the local emigre circles to help also Novotny for departure from the now connected to the National Socialist Germany " Ostmark ". Well out of concern for his elderly mother and his sickly sister, whom he did not want to leave alone, Novotny but decided to remain in Vienna. Despite its uncompromisingly anti-fascist attitude he received in 1939 a position at the Austrian Gallery in the Belvedere Palace, the interim management was entrusted to him immediately after the war ended in 1945 for two years. From 1960 to 1968 he was director of the museum and then definitely brought in a number of highly regarded shows of the Viennese population, the great masters of classical modernism closer. Since 1948, Novotny taught as associate professor at the University, but was honored only on the occasion of his retirement in 1978 with the title of professor. As a board member of Adalbert Stifter society Novotny also dealt with the picturesque work of the poet and initiated a small museum, which has since incorporated the Vienna Museum.

Awards

Works

  • Paul Cézanne. In Belvedere, Vol 7, 1929
  • The problem of man Cezanne in relation to his art. In: Journal of Aesthetics and Art Studies, Volume XXVI (26 ), 1932
  • Paul Cezanne. Phaidon, Vienna 1937; revised edition 1968
  • Cézanne and the end of the scientific perspective. Vienna in 1938
  • Adalbert Stifter as a painter. 1941
  • Cézanne as a draftsman. In: Vienna Yearbook of Art History, Volume XIV (XVIII ), 1950
  • The great French Impressionisten.Wien 1952; Neudr 1995
  • Painting and Sculpture in Europe 1780 to 1880, 1960
  • About the "Elementary " in the History of Art, 1968
Vienna School of Art History Rudolf Eitelberger Alois Riegl Julius von Schlosser Hans Sedlmayr Moritz Thausing Franz Wickhoff Otto Demus Otto Benesch Integrated Authority File
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