This exhibition explores the artistic connections between painters Anton Faistauer, Egon Schiele, Felix Albrecht Harta, and their contemporaries in early 20th-century Austria. Organized by the Salzburg Museum, it delves into their personal lives, artistic theories, and involvement in influential artist collectives.
In 2019, the Belvedere presented a collaborative exhibition with the Salzburg Museum titled 'Faistauer, Schiele, Harta & Co. Painting Connects Us.' This exhibition offered a sweeping panorama of art from the early twentieth century, tracing the paths of painters Anton Faistauer, Egon Schiele, Felix Albrecht Harta, and their artist colleagues and friends. A significant proportion of the works displayed were drawn from the Belvedere's extensive collection in Vienna.
The show, organized by the Salzburg Museum as part of its 2019 series 'Illustrious Guests,' continued its collaboration with other important European museums. Faistauer and Schiele met at the Vienna Academy in 1906, and three years later, Schiele founded the Neukunstgruppe, which included Faistauer and Harta as members. This network of exhibitions, travels, and mutual friends played a crucial role in their artistic development. All three artists shared a profound theoretical interest in art and were deeply involved in artist collectives. While Egon Schiele established the Neukunstgruppe, Harta founded the group Wassermann, and Faistauer initiated the Sonderbund in Salzburg. This period was characterized by art and culture being integral parts of society, with Faistauer, Schiele, and Harta serving as epicenters of the Austrian art scene.
The exhibition brought together diverse artists from the collections of both the Belvedere and the Salzburg Museum, organizing paintings and graphic works into five chapters. These chapters focused on themes such as travel, personal life, nature, and friends, with an additional room dedicated to the founders and members of the group Wassermann, celebrating its centenary in 2019.
