Rudolf Hermann Eisenmenger (7 August 1902 – 3 November 1994) was an Austrian
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
ist.
Life
Professor Eisenmenger belonged to the
Danube Swabians of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
. He was born in
Piskitelep, until 1918 part of
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, afterwards belonging to
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. Between 1918 and 1921 he had Romanian citizenship, from 1922 Austrian and after 1938 German.
In 1936 he won a silver medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games for his "Läufer vor dem Ziel" ("Runners at the Finishing Line").
He is known for the mural, ''Homecoming of the
Ostmark'', which shows the proud and glorious return of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
to the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
1938 after the
Anschluss Österreichs
The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the Nazi Germany, German Reich on 13 March 1938.
The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Ger ...
in two parts, both seven metres wide. It was exhibited at the Great German Art Exhibition (''
Große Deutsche Kunstausstellung''; GDK) of 1941 in Munich. In a highly controversial decision Eisenmenger was selected to create a large-scale picture for the safety curtain of the
Vienna State Opera in 1955.
[Cf. Christine Oertel]
''Rudolf Hermann Eisenmenger and his safety curtain''
2017
Decorations and awards
* 1923: Lampi-Preis (Akademie der Bildenden Künste)
* 1925: Kleber-Preis
* 1927: Meisterschulpreis
* 1929: Rompreis für das „Bildnis auf goldenem Grund” und den Tapisserieentwurf „Tageszeiten”
*1933: Jubiläumspreis der Schützengilde (Wiener Künstlerhaus)
*1936: Silberne Medaille im olympischen Kunstwettbewerb für das Bild „Läufer vor dem Ziel”
*1936: Österreichisches Verdienstkreuz für Kunst und Wissenschaft
*1936: Goldene Ehrenmedaille des Künstlerhauses Wien
*1936: Preis der Stadt Wien für Malerei
*1938: Anton-Waldvogel-Stiftungspreis (Wiener Künstlerhaus)
*1938: Preis der Stadt Wien
*1941: Künstlerhaus-Jubiläumspreis
*1942: Albrecht-Dürer-Preis (Nürnberg)
* 1944:
Schirach-Preis
*1956: Silberne Mitgliedsnadel des Wiener Künstlerhauses
*1957:
Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system.
History
The "Austrian D ...
* 1972: Goldener Lorbeer des Wiener Künstlerhauses
*1973:
Grand Silver Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria
References
External links
official website
Rudolf Hermann Eisenmenger Thule Art Gallery
Rudolph Hermann Eisenmenger German Art Gallery
1902 births
1994 deaths
Austrian artists
Olympic silver medalists in art competitions
Austrian people of Hungarian descent
People from Simeria
Recipients of the Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Olympic competitors in art competitions
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