Johnny Friedlaener (Germany 1912-1992) Kleurenlitho 'Paysage' ~1988

Johnny Friedlaener (Germany 1912-1992)

Kleurenlitho 'Paysage' ~1988

Gesigneerd in druk.

Afmetingen: 85 x 55 cm.

Johnny Friedlaender (1912–1992) was a leading German-born artist, later a French citizen, celebrated as a master and pioneer of modern color aquatint etching. His work is primarily associated with lyrical abstraction and the post-war Nouvelle École de Paris (New School of Paris) movement. Born Gotthard Joachim Friedlaender in Pless, Upper Silesia (now Pszczyna, Poland), he moved to Breslau in 1921. At 16, he enrolled in the Breslau Art Academy, studying under the Expressionist artist Otto Mueller. He began exhibiting in 1930, but as the political situation in Germany deteriorated, he fled Nazi persecution in 1935, traveling through various European countries before settling in Paris as a political refugee in 1937. From 1939 to 1943, he was interned in several camps for foreigners alongside other artists like Max Ernst, but he managed to escape and worked with the French Resistance in the South of France. After returning to Paris in 1945, he became a central figure in the city's art scene, gaining international recognition for his innovative approach to color printmaking. While also painting with oils and watercolors, his preferred and most influential medium was aquatint etching, a technically difficult process in which he was considered a pioneer. His works are known for their abstract compositions often infused with poetic and surreal elements.