Alfons Walde

Biography

From 1910 to 1914 Alfons Walde studied architecture at the Technische Hochschule in Vienna. He moved in artistic circles that included Albin Egger-Lienz, Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt and he was influenced by Ferdinand Hodler. In 1911 he had his first exhibition in Innsbruck, in 1913 he was already represented with four paintings at the Viennese Secession. From 1914 to 1917 he actively participated as a Tyrolean Kaiserschütze in the high mountains battle of world war I. Afterwards he continued his studies at the Technische Hochschule in Vienna, but soon returned to Kitzbühel. There he fully devoted himself to painting and participated again in exhibitions of the Secession and the Wiener Künstlerhaus in the 1920s. Around 1928 he finally found his own characteristic style that gave expression to the Tyrolean mountain scenery - particularly the lively winter landscapes - and its robust people through the use of highly reduced inland drawings and a pastose colouring. In 1956 Walde was invested as professor as a late official recognition of his artistic oeuvre. In his work, he once more turned to painting and flower paintings, nude drawings and small winter and sport motifs in tempera came into existence. The artist died in Kitzbühel in 1958. As a painter, architect, graphic artist and publisher, Alfons Walde formed the Tyrolean art of the first half of the 20th century in an important way.