Ernst Huber 1895 Wien-1960 Wien

From 1914, Ernst Huber worked as a trained typesetter. He then went on to become a lithographer and took a course in ornamental drawing at the Vienna School of Applied Arts under Otto Purtscher and Karl Witzmann. As a painter, Huber was self-taught. His first exhibition at the Vienna Art Association in 1919 was a huge success. Through the intervention of Josef Hoffmann, he became a member of the “Kunstschau“ in 1920, an esteemed association of artists, whose other members included important painters like Boeckl, Faistauer, Kokoschka, Kolig and Wiegele. He participated in the exhibitions of the association and from 1928 he contributed regularly to numerous exhibitions in Austria and abroad. He became a member of the Vienna Secession that same year. He was deeply impressed by the works of Breughel and Valckenborch. His early work consisted mostly of pen-and-ink drawings and he also illustrated a number of books. Later on his main artistic focus shifted towards landscape paintings. While he drew his inspiration from the picturesque Austrian countryside, he found his travels equally stimulating. In the course of his career he moved from dark, dull colours to a stunning luminosity, full of colour and intensity. Huber’s artistic output was held in high esteem and he was honoured with a number of awards.