In 2019, the Austrian Belvedere Gallery is a guest at the Salzburg Museum. This is part of the annual theme “Distinguished Guests” and also continues the museum’s exhibition collaborations with major European museums.
Spanning a broad spectrum—from the artistic and historical to the personal—the exhibition takes us back to the beginning of the 20th century. It traces the paths of the painters Anton Faistauer, Egon Schiele, Felix Albrecht Harta, and their fellow artists and friends. Faistauer and Schiele met in 1906 at the Academy in Vienna and encountered the painter F. A. Harta three years later. That same year, Schiele founded the Neukunstgruppe, and in addition to Faistauer and Harta, the group included Anton Peschka and Franz Wiegele, to name just a few. Through joint exhibitions, travels, and shared friendships, a network of relationships emerged that was significant for the individual artistic development of the artists. All three artists also shared a deep theoretical interest in art and a commitment to artistic communities. Alongside Schiele and the Neukunstgruppe, Harta founded the Wassermann and Faistauer founded the Sonderbund in Salzburg. It was a time when art and culture were an integral part of society. Faistauer, Schiele, and Harta were central figures in Austrian art and the scene of their time. The exhibition brings together a diverse range of artists with their works from the collections of the Belvedere in Vienna and the Salzburg Museum. The paintings and prints are presented in five thematic chapters: Travel, Private Life, Nature, and Friends. The final room is dedicated to the founders, friends, and some members of the group “Der Wassermann,” which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019.
