Erwin Dominik Osen
Ohne Titel (Zug vom See her)
Current location
Stadthaus, Gubelstrasse 22, 6301 Zug, 3. OG West, Stadtkanzlei
Erwin Dominik Osen grows up in Vienna as the orphaned son of a Japanese father and an Austrian mother. Despite his circumstances, he is accepted into the ballet school of the Vienna State Opera at the age of six. Here his artistic talent is recognised and nurtured by the composer Gustav Mahler. From 1904 onwards, he undertakes art training in private lessons with Albert Roller and Gustav Klimt, as well as at the Vienna Academy under Christian Griepenkerl. During this time he developes a close friendship with Egon Schiele, which shapes the artistic work of both. This connection is particularly evident in these depictions: of Osen’s girlfriend, depictions of patients with mental illnesses and of cityscapes in the oeuvre of both artists, as well as in their mutual portraits. Erwin Osen is regarded as a multi-talented artist. His work encompasses numerous forms of expression like pantomime and acting, stage design, singing and directing as well as the visual arts. In 1913, he leaves Vienna and initially works in the costume and design department of the Künstlertheater in Munich. Then he works at the Neues Deutsches Theater in Prague before moving to Berlin in 1915. Further travels take him to New York, Brazil and West Africa. After hiding in Vienna during the Second World War, he eventually travels to Zug in the 1950s before settling in Dortmund in 1960. Erwin Osen developes from an unconventional free spirit into a highly regarded artist. His later works, often in square format, frequently feature portraits, landscapes, unusual aerial views and atmospheric scenes.
Genre
Material / Technique
Dimensions
Frame dimensions: 72.4 x 72.4 cm
Object-related numbers
KS 279