Gerstl’s Works, 1902-1905

GERSTL’S WORKS
Phase 1: 1902 – 1905

Having had a somewhat confrontational relationship with his teacher, Prof. Christian Griepenkerl, Gerstl left, or was, more likely, ejected from the Akademie in summer 1901, aged 17. He almost immediately began to rent, with the financial help of his father, a series of studios in the nineteenth district of Vienna. However, he returned to Griepenkerl’s class to complete his general artistic studies in October 1904, before leaving a second time, again probably in contentious circumstances, in summer 1905. Just twelve paintings, of which only nine survive, can be identified from this period. Nonetheless, they provide instructive pointers to Gerstl’s development through his late teenage years.

Click on an image or title below to see greater detail of each work from Phase 2 in a new window
Alternatively click for:
1906-June 1907 ♦ ♦ Gmunden 1907 ♦ ♦ Autumn 1907-Spring 1908 ♦ ♦ Summer 1908-Suicide
Or jump to a chronological list of links to each one of Gerstl’s known works at the foot of this page
Note: All links open in a separate window


RG1 Bildnis Carl Zentzytzki, ca. 1902
Oil on canvas, 53 x 42 cms. Private
Probably painted in Gerstl’s studio, Therese-Krones-Haus
, Hohe Warte 37, Vienna IXX, where Zentzytzki, a bookseller, may have been his landlord.
Kallir no. 56, but not exhibited at Neue Galerie, 1931. Thesis – pp. 55-56

 


RG2 Bildnis Anna Bäumer, ca. 1902
Oil on canvas, 47 x 38 cms. Private
Bäumer, born 24.4.1868 and Gerstl’s cousin, lived a short walk away at Sensengasse 5, IX, so it is likely that the portrait was either painted there or at Gerstl’s apartment, Nußdorferstraße 35, IX,
Kallir no. 25, but not exhibited at Neue Galerie in 1931. Thesis – pp. 55-56

 


RG32 Frauenkopf, ca. 1902
Oil on canvas, 47 x 37 cms, verso RG31 – Kleines Selbstbildnis
Stiftung Sammlung KammKunsthaus Zug
Almost certainly painted in Vienna before 1905, most likely ca. 1902.
Kallir 5 – exhibited at Neue Galerie from 28 September 1931. Thesis – pp. 120-121

 


RG4 Bildnis Waldemar Unger:I, 1902/1903
Oil on canvas, 41.1 x 34 cms. Landesmuseum, Linz
Apparently painted on a joint Gerstl/Unger family holiday in Kritzendorf ca. 1902. Dated above left shoulder “October 190[?]”, which may be the completion date.
Not known to Kallir. Thesis – pp. 56-58

 


RG5 Bildnis Waldemar Unger:II, 1902/1903
Oil on canvas, 44 x 35 cms. Image courtesy Dorotheum
Possibly painted on a joint Gerstl/Unger family holiday in Kritzendorf ca. 1902, inscribed: “Richard Gerstl 10 Febr,190[3]” when it was presumably completed
Not known to Kallir. Thesis – pp. 56-58

 


RG6 Selbstbildnis (Akt auf blauem Grund), 1902
Oil on canvas, 159.5 x 109 cms. Leopold Museum
According to his brother, Alois, Gerstl definitely painted this self-portrait when he was 19, so it can almost certainly be attributed to Gerstl’s studio at Therese-Krones-Haus
, Hohe Warte 37, Vienna IXX in 1902/1903
Kallir 54, but not exhibited at Neue Galerie in 1931. Thesis – pp. 63-67

 


RG7 Kinderbild, ca. 1904
Oil on canvas, 70.5 x 50.5 cms.
Lost – photo courtesy Galerie St. Etienne, New York
The son of  a Hohe Warte grocer, so probably painted at Gerstl’s studio at Therese-Krones-Haus
, Hohe Warte 37, Vienna IXX,.
Kallir 28 – exhibited at Neue Galerie from opening, 28.9.1931. Thesis – p. 82

 


RG82 Bildnis Herr Wantschura, ca. 1904/1905
Probably oil on canvas. Lost, no image available. Viktor Hammer recalled that Gerstl painted a Herr Wantschura in Heiligenstadt, where Therese-Krones-Haus was situated, so can probably be dated 1904/1905 There remains no other trace of the work. Not known to Kallir. Thesis – p. 72

 


RG83 Bildnis Dr Breitenfeld , ca. 1904/1905
Lifesize, presumably oil on canvas. Lost, no image available. Hammer recalled that Gerstl also painted a life-size portrait of a seated “Hofrat” or “Sektionschef“ in Heiligenstadt, possibly a Dr. Breitenfeld, whom Alois mentioned in similar terms. There remains no other trace of the work. Not known to Kallir. Thesis – p. 72

 


RG8 Fragment eines lachenden Selbstbildnisses in ganzer Figur, ca. 1904
verso RG61 Bildnis Alexander Zemlinsky and RG62 Mathilde im GartenOil on canvas, fragment 170 x 74 cms (original ca. 170 x 135 cms), Stiftung Sammlung KammKunsthaus Zug
Most likely painted at Gerstl’s studio at Therese-Krones-Haus
. Defaced and dissected by Gerstl, who used the reverse canvasses in summer 1908 for RG61 Bildnis Alexander Zemlinsky and RG62 Mathilde im Garten. Kallir 28 – exhibited at Neue Galerie from opening, 28.9.1931. Thesis – pp. 72-74

 


RG84 Bildnis Benedict Kosian , ca. 1904/1905
Presumably oil on canvas. Lost, no image available. Gerstl’s portrait of Benedict Kosian, the proprietor of Café Elisabethbrücke, was referred to by both Alois Gerstl and Waldemar Unger to Breicha, who entitled the commission “Der Cafetier”. There remains no other trace of the work. Not known to Kallir. Thesis – p. 72

 


RG9 Die Schwestern Fey, March/April 1905
Oil on canvas, 175 x 150 cms, inscribed verso: “Richard Gerstl, IX, Nußdorferstr. 35″  Österreichische Galerie Belvedere. Paula Fey recalled in a letter to Breicha that Gerstl painted this double portrait of her, aged 22, and her sister Karoline in their ball gowns in their villa in Döbling, Hofzeile 23 XIX Vienna, in March/April 1905, just after the carnival and ball season. Kallir 52 – exhibited at Neue Galerie from opening, 28.9.1931. Thesis – pp. 75-77

 

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Click for: 1902-1905 ♦ ♦ 1906 – June 1907 ♦ ♦ Gmunden 1907 ♦ ♦ Autumn 1907 – Spring 1908 ♦ ♦ Summer 1908 – Suicide

Click on the chronological links below to view illustrated details of an individual work:

1902-1905: Zentzytzki ♦ ♦ Bäumer ♦ ♦ Frauenkopf ♦ ♦ Unger:I ♦ ♦ Unger:II ♦ ♦ Blue Self-portrait ♦ ♦ Kinderbild ♦ ♦ Selbstbildnis, lachend (Fragment) ♦ ♦ Schwestern Fey

1906-June 1907: Trude Geiringer ♦ ♦ Schönberg ♦ ♦ Mathilde und Gertrud ♦ ♦ Frau mit Federhut ♦ ♦ Grinzing ♦ ♦ Emil Gerstl ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis mit Palette ♦ ♦ Diez ♦ ♦ Alois Gerstl ♦ ♦ Smaragda Berg ♦ ♦ Mutter und Tochter ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/1 ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/2 ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/3 ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/4 ♦ ♦ vor dem Ofen ♦ ♦ Selbstbildnis (Studie) ♦ ♦ Kleines Selbstbildnis ♦ ♦ Dame mit Federhut ♦ ♦ Kahlenberg ♦ ♦ Oberländer ♦ ♦ Herrenbildnis ♦ ♦ Kniestück ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/2

Gmunden 1907: Obstbaum mit Holzstützen ♦ ♦ Blumenwiese ♦ ♦ Gartenbild ♦ ♦ Baum im Garten ♦ ♦ Prillinger ♦ ♦ Uferpromenade ♦ ♦ Obstbaum ♦ ♦ Baumstudie ♦ ♦ Gartenzaun ♦ ♦ Mathilde Schönberg:II ♦ ♦ Traunseelandschaft ♦ ♦ Baum am Traunsee ♦ ♦ Schlafender Griechin ♦ ♦ Landschaftsstudie ♦ ♦ Selbstbildnis, lachend (1907)

Autumn 1907-Spring 1908: Self 15 September ♦ ♦ Self 29 September/1 ♦ ♦ Self 29 September/2 ♦ ♦ Liechtensteinpalais ♦ ♦ Donaukanal ♦ ♦ Nußdorf ♦ ♦ Sitzende Frau ♦ ♦ Sitzende Mann ♦ ♦ Mathilde im Atelier ♦ ♦ Halbfigurenportrait ♦ ♦ Henryka Cohn

Gmunden 1908-Suicide: Alban Berg? ♦ ♦ Traunseelandschaft 1908 ♦ ♦ Doppelbildnis ♦ ♦ Zemlinsky ♦ ♦ Mathilde im Garten ♦ ♦ Familie Schönberg ♦ ♦ Gruppenbildnis ♦ ♦ Akt im Freien ♦ ♦ Nußdorferstraße ♦ ♦ Zimmer ♦ ♦ Maria Gerstl ♦ ♦ Halbakt ♦ ♦ Selbstbildnis 12 September 1908 ♦ ♦ Frauenakt

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