Early Life, Family and Training

Alfons Purtscher entered the world on 14 January 1885 in Klagenfurt, Austria-Hungary. His early years in this region laid the foundation for a life defined by the study of form and life. Seeking to refine his natural inclinations, he traveled to the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, a place where his ambitions began to take a tangible shape. It was there that he came under the guidance of Heinrich von Zügel, a man whose mastery of animal subjects provided a profound influence on the young student. Purtscher’s talent was evident early on, and in 1907, he was honored with the "great medal" of the Munich Academy, a distinction that marked his arrival as a serious practitioner of his craft.

As his professional life took hold, his personal life became intertwined with the world of art through his marriage in 1919 to Nora Purtscher-Wydenbruck. She was a woman of letters, a writer and translator, but she also shared his devotion to the brush. In their shared life, Alfons Purtscher acted as a teacher, guiding his wife through the complexities of painting. Together, they built a family that included two children, weaving the domestic sphere into the very fabric of his creative existence. This period of his life was marked by a deep connection between his domestic duties and his artistic development, as the boundaries between teaching, family, and the pursuit of beauty remained closely knit.

Life and Activity in Germany and Austria

Before the Great War had reshaped the borders of Europe, Purtscher had already begun to make a name for himself within the German art circles. His reputation grew steadily, yet the shifting political tides following the conflict brought unexpected hardships. As a foreigner in a changing Germany, he found himself denied the necessary residence permits to remain, a struggle that forced him to turn his gaze back toward his roots in Carinthia.

This period of transition led him to the shores of Lake Wörthersee. From 1919 until 1926, he and his wife resided in Pörtschach am Wörthersee, finding a sense of place amidst the landscape. It was during these years that his professional connections within the Austrian art community deepened. He joined the Klagenfurt Art Association in 1922, and by 1925, he had secured a position within the Hagenbund, a membership he would maintain until 1935.

His time in these regions was marked by a steady presence in the regional art scene, even as the world around him underwent profound transformations. While his focus often turned toward the animals that would define his later fame, his life in Austria was one of adaptation and persistence in the face of shifting citizenship and borders.

Life and Activity in London

The year 1926 marked a significant turning point when he left the landscapes of Carinthia to settle in London. This move to the British capital brought a new chapter of stability and recognition. By 1933, he had become a naturalized British citizen, fully integrating into the life of his adopted home. During the dark years of the Second World War, he contributed to the local effort by serving as a Civil Defence Volunteer, a duty that saw him through the challenges of the Blitz.

In the English social and sporting circles, he found a steady place for his talents. He became particularly popular for his depictions of animals, specifically horses and dogs, which resonated deeply with his new audience. His ability to capture the character of these creatures allowed him to build a reputation among those who valued the spirit of the animal. His brush captured the essence of life in the city and the countryside alike, from the quietude of a portrait to the tension of a scene in Mayfair.

• Half Moon St, Mayfair, in the Blitz, 1942
• Hilde Spiel, Brustbild der vierzigjährigen Dichterin und Journalistin im Londoner Exil, 1954

Technique and Artistic Style

Purtscher possessed a versatile hand that allowed him to move between various mediums with ease. While he found great success as an animal painter, his curiosity extended far beyond the anatomy of his subjects. He worked with oil to capture the weight and texture of his subjects, but he was equally comfortable with the lighter touch of watercolor. In his more delicate studies, he turned to pastel and chalk to achieve a softness that oil could not provide. He even experimented with mixed media, blending different materials to achieve a specific effect on the surface of his work.

His approach to composition often focused on the character of the living creature. Whether he was painting a dog or a horse, he sought to capture their specific essence through careful observation. This focus on the natural world meant that his repertoire naturally expanded to include landscapes and floral studies. He did not limit himself to a single way of seeing; instead, he adapted his technique to suit the subject at hand, whether it was the broad strokes required for a landscape or the precise detail needed for a portrait.

• Portrait of a Terrier, 1908
• Two Speckled Cows, 1908
• Spring Landscape, 1916
• Two Horses, 1956

Key Works and Notable Subjects

The artist found his greatest inspiration in the quiet dignity of animals and the fleeting light of the natural world. In his early years, he captured the spirited essence of creatures through works like a portrait of a Terrier in 1908 and the depiction of two speckled cows from that same year. As his hand grew more confident, he turned his attention to the landscape, finding a sense of peace in a spring landscape painted in 1916. He possessed a particular affinity for the grace of horses, a subject that would follow him through many decades. This devotion is seen in his 1922 depictions of horses and the lively scene of a racehorse with driver and boys in 1924. Even in his later years, such as in 1956, he returned to the study of two horses, proving that his fascination with their form never truly faded.

Beyond the stable and the field, he possessed a gentle curiosity for the domestic and the human. He captured a sense of innocence in a 1925 work featuring a girl with guinea pigs, showing a softer side to his observational eye. His talent for portraiture also extended to the people of his time, most notably in 1954 when he painted a portrait of the poet and journalist Hilde Spiel. Whether he was observing the movement of a small dog or the steady gaze of a person, he sought to record the truth of his subjects with a steady and observant hand.