Olga Wisinger-Florian | Impressionist painter

Olga Wisinger-Florian (1 November 1844, Vienna - 27 February 1926, Grafenegg) was an Austrian impressionist painter, mainly of landscapes and flower still lifes. She was a notable representative of Austrian Mood Impressionism.

She originally trained as a concert pianist with Julius Epstein.

Wisinger-Florian switched to painting in the mid-1870s. She was a student of painters Melchior Fritsch (1826-1889), August Schaeffer (de) (1833-1916) and Emil Jakob Schindler.

From 1881 she regularly showed paintings at the annual exhibitions mounted at the artist's house and later often showed at Vienna Secession exhibitions.

The work she showed at the Paris and Chicago international exhibitions earned her worldwide acclaim. The artist, who was also active in the middle-class women's movements of the time, was Awarded numerous distinctions and prizes. Wisinger-Florian's early paintings can be assigned to what is known as Austrian Mood Impressionism.

In her landscape paintings she adopted Schindler's sublime approach to nature. The motifs she employed, such as views of tree-lined avenues, gardens and fields, were strongly reminiscent of her teacher's work.

After breaking with Schindler in 1884, however, the artist went her own way. Her conception of landscapes became more realistic.

Her late work is notable for a lurid palette, with discernible overtones of Expressionism. With landscape and flower pictures that were already Expressionist in palette by the 1890s, she was years ahead of her time.

Olga Wisinger-Florian (Vienna, 1º novembre 1844 - Grafenegg, 27 febbraio 1926) è stata una pittrice Austriaca, rappresentante dell’Impressionismo.

Dopo aver lavorato come pianista, la Wisinger-Florian iniziò a praticare la pittura, allieva di Melchior Fritsch, August Schaeffer ed Emil Jakob Schindler.

Dal 1881 espose regolarmente i propri dipinti in esposizioni private e nelle mostre organizzate dalla Secessione viennese.

Si fece notare nelle Esposizioni internazionali di Chicago del 1893 e di Parigi del 1900, ed ottenne altri numerosi premi e segnalazioni. S'impegnò anche nel movimento femminista del suo paese. I suoi primi dipinti fanno parte del particolare Impressionismo austriaco, caratterizzato dalla ricerca del «sublime» nella rappresentazione della natura, secondo l’insegnamento di Schindler.

Si allontanò dal suo maestro nel 1884 e scelse una rappresentazione più naturalistica del paesaggio con concessioni all’Espressionismo e utilizzando colori lividi.