Otto Prinz

1906 to 1980, Austria

Otto Prinz was a trained butcher and practised this occupation even if, as a gentle and spiritual man, it did not suit him at all.

Forced to join the army at the start of the Second World War, he soon entered the psychiatric clinic in Maria Gugging in a highly disturbed state. He drew without instruction, always alone in his room, and procured his own art supplies. His delicate pencil drawings on paper seem like black and white paintings interspersed with grey tones, showing hard contrasts and soft transitions. He also drew with coloured pencils, which he applied softly and gently. His main subjects are ghostly landscapes and people who often seem to float; later, he also focused on buildings. The drawings convey the aura of his personal visionary mythology. His work can be found in the collection of Gerhard and Karin Dammann, Switzerland, among others.

Selected works