Klemens Brosch (1894 – 1926)
Art and addiction of a genius draughtsman

Klemens Brosch (1894−1926) is one of Austria’s most outstanding draughtsmen in the twentieth century. The Landesgalerie Linz and the Nordico Stadtmuseum pay homage to the life and work of the genius draughtsman from Linz. 

The project, which involves two museums, throws light on the artistic career and the tragic life of the artist, who left behind a huge graphic oeuvre and several oil paintings, the rich fruit of no more than sixteen years of artistic creativity.

With seemingly pedantic precision Brosch dealt with themes from the realms of the symbolic and the eery, and with the magic and transience of nature. His meticulous line and manic flow made him a precursor of New Objectivity, of what was to become surrealism and hyperrealism. Brosch’s pictorial subjects give the impression of being demonic and unfathomable. His magic landscapes appear fossilised and forsaken. His sketches bear the hallmarks of genius and obsession. Brosch’s visions transport us to fictitious dream worlds with frequently threatening overtones. When Brosch was sent to the front in Galicia, he documented the atrocities of war on paper. 

In 1914 the ailing artist is prescribed morphine. He becomes addicted to the drug, which in turn makes itself felt in the pathos and the visionary character of his work. Both his life and his work are overshadowed by his longing for death and his apocalyptic visions until his suicide on Linz’s Pöstlingberg in 1926 puts an end to his suffering.

Curators: Dr​.in Elisabeth Nowak-Thaller (curatorial concept, Nordico Museum Linz)
Mag.a Gabriele Spindler, Mag.a Monika Oberchristl (Landesgalerie Linz)