Selection of featured artwork by Friedrich Zettl
It is natural for viewers of works of art, art critics, or galleries to have different priorities and react differently to works of art. In the “featured” category, we present works by Friedrich Zettl [1] that the artist himself considered to be the most successful. The reasons for this can be of various kinds. Be it that the painter himself believes that he has taken a remarkable step, has represented an idea particularly well, or has put the palette together well.
All the works shown are for sale – as originals or high-quality prints. The prices do include all costs and of course shipping. The works are generally framed and thus ready to hang.
2023 featured top picks
2022 featured top picks
2021 featured top picks
2020 featured top picks
pre – 2020 featured top picks
Featured in Media: TV Portrait (in German) | Press Release (Chinese) | On Dao and Zen | BIO
footnotes:
[1]
Friedrich Zettl is an Austrian artist specializing in painting, graphic art, and calligraphy. He began his artistic career with Western painting in the early 1970s. Zettl pursued his interest in Chinese culture and art by studying sinology and conducting research at the Academy in Beijing from 1978 to 19851 as the first European student after the Cultural Revolution. During his second study visit, he again researched Chinese painting. In addition, he wrote his dissertation about Chinese freehand painting. [2]
Zettl had previously exhibited work in Western styles, particularly Expressionist oil paintings, in Europe. Since studying traditional Chinese painting in theory and practice, however, his focus has shifted and Asian thinking has been increasingly incorporated into his work. Above all, the techniques and philosophy of Chinese calligraphy characterize his brushwork and composition. Furthermore, Zettl has a close relationship with Daoism and Zen Buddhism, which is clearly expressed in his work. Zettl works mainly on paper and uses fine inks and Indian inks.
To be able to implement his ideas in the best possible way, he has developed his own techniques that combine Western media and Asian concepts in an unprecedented way. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the world.
[2]
Freehand brushwork, 写意画, is a genre of Chinese traditional painting that includes poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. The term “freehand brushwork” literally means “writing ideas”.
Freehand brushwork emphasizes the semblance in the spiritual aspect. This kind of artwork does not aim to capture physical similarity but rather grasps the most obvious or essential spiritual characteristics. Freehand brushwork focuses on the personality and the cooperation of every element in the painting. It is a manifestation of spiritual thoughts and experiences.