Galerie Ernst Hilger

Vienna
Galerie Ernst Hilger

Alfred Hrdlicka

(Austrian, 1928 – 2009)
Alfred Hrdlicka was an Austrian artist known for his often-controversial renderings of religion and politics. The sculptor, painter, and draftsman’s provocative drawing Last Supper (1984), created in tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini, outraged audiences with its depiction of Jesus Christ and his disciples engaged in sexually explicit acts. “All art comes from flesh,” the defiant artist declared. Many of his artworks are figurative, representing subjects suffering or in pain as a means to promote anti-Fascism, as Hrdlicka believed that art should engage in the human condition. Born on February 27, 1928 in Vienna, Austria, Hrdlicka trained as a dental technician before pursuing painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in his hometown. His first exhibition...