Broncia Koller-Pinell

Sanok 1863 - 1934 Wien

Broncia Koller-Pinell was born in a small village in Galicia in 1863. From early childhood on, people recognized her numerous talents. As women were not allowed into the Akademie der Bildenden Künste (Acadamy of Fine Arts) until 1920, Professor Leopold Carl Müller recommended her to his student, the painter Alois Delug, who would become her teacher. The public first took knowledge of her art at the Internationale Kunstausstellung (International Art Exhibition) in Vienna in 1888, followed by her first exhibition at Vienna Künstlerhaus in 1980. The young artist soon got highly praised as Vienna’s rising talent by fellow artists and critics. During her stay in Nuremberg in 1889, she became interested in graphic techniques. Eventually, her woodcuting pieces would advance to her most impressive graphic means of expression. After his return from Japan, Emil Orlik included Japanese influences to his work and passed these on, which also had great impact on Koller-Pinell. A huge personal success was her admission to the Kunstschau (Art Show) and her participation at their exhibition in 1908. She kept in touch with Austria’s leading women’s rights activists her whole life. She also shared a deep friendship with Alma Mahler-Werfel. Numerous well-know artists were part of her immediate circle of acquaintances, e.g. Koloman Moser and Egon Schiele, who had been sponsored by her husband quite early on. Broncia Koller-Pinell died in Vienna in 1934.