(Karlsbad 1889–1964 Tullnerbach)
Mill near Pappelleiten, Vorchdorf, signed and dated J. Dobrowsky 1936, oil on canvas, 60 x 73 cm, framed, (K)

Provenance:
Private Collection, Austria

Perhaps here at the end of a great artist’s life, things have come full circle. At the start, Dobrowsky preoccupied himself intensively, aside from the art of France, above all, with Dutch and Italian painting of the Renaissance and Baroque. In his late work, he turns his attention (again) to (Post)-Impressionism. However, here too Dobrowsky was interested in the technical aspects of painting itself. His preoccupation with the art practice of others was a means towards comprehending the painterly philosophies of other (great) painters. In order to do so, he strode around particular art historical capital cities - especially those directly associated with Vienna and Austria - preparing the ground for his own fruitful contributions, from which his pupils, who included Wolfgang Hollegha, Alfred Hrdlicka and Josef Mikl, could draw decisive consequences for the Austrian post-war avant-garde. And not only did that make Dobrowsky into an ‘artist’s artist’, that is an artist, better known amongst artists and experts, but also it made him a great Austrian artist who might claim worldwide attention and now ought to be the subject of reevaluation. Neuro-scientists might assist in this endeavour, for instance, helping us to better understand our perceptions, our emotional reactions and our bio-chemically driven experience of art. And yet, this approach would also not entirely explain, just what art is. There is always something that remains resistant with art that cannot be conveyed in our experiential reality or by means of language. Here then lies the truth of painting for Dobrowsky.

Axel Köhne, Josef Dobrowsky, Wahrnehmung und Farbe, catalogue, Belvedere 2014