Mother with Child (Reininghaus Madonna), 1913

Albert Paris Gütersloh (1887–1973) was a writer and artist. In 1911, the painter, who was also trained in acting, published the novel Die tanzende Törin (“The Dancing Fool”), his work appearing in important magazines such as Der Ruf and Die Aktion. The world of the stage is said to have determined his artistic name, too. At the beginning of the 20th century Carl Reininghaus (1857–1929) was one of the most significant art collectors and patrons of the avant-garde in Vienna. This depiction of a mother breast-feeding is named after the supporter of Ferdinand Hodler (1853–1918), Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) and Egon Schiele (1890–1918): the Reininghaus Madonna. In this, the deeply religious artist shows his affinity with the School of Paris, which he had studied in that city from 1910 to 1911 as an art critic and student of Maurice Denis. The brightly colored, spotted paint application is derived from the painting style of Paul Cézanne. Conversely, the corridor tailing off into the depths, the tiles and the opened door point to Dutch Baroque painting.

AM, 2019