Ruth von Mayenburg

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Künstler*in Rudolf Hausner (1914 Wien – 1995 Mödling)

Object typeGemälde
MediumTempera on hardboard
Dimensions
59,5 × 73 cm
SignatureSign. und dat. rechts oben: R. Hausner 51
Inventory number7189
Locations Belvedere, Oberes Belvedere, 2. Obergeschoß (Ost), Raum NO2
Rudolf Hausner, a key figure of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, is renowned for his technique inspired by the painterly precision of the old masters. By applying several layers of translucent paint on top of each other, he created this portrait of the Austrian writer and translator Ruth von Mayenburg (1907–1993) against a backdrop of dark walls and a gloomy sky. Hausner may be alluding to Mayenburg’s espionage activities: she fled to the Soviet Union through Prague after taking part in the February Uprising in Vienna in 1934. During World War II, while in exile, she became a member of the then outlawed KPÖ (Communist Party of Austria) and worked for the Soviet Army. Upon returning to Austria in 1945, she resigned from the party and devoted herself to writing.