Kunstmuseum Bern

Victor Surbek

07 Jun - 28 Aug 2011

Victor Surbek
Wolkenflug, 1960
Öl auf Leinwand, 140.2 x 210 cm
Kunstmuseum Bern
Schenkung aus dem Nachlass Victor Surbek und Marguerite Frey Surbek
Passage:
VICTOR SURBEK (1885–1975) – Works from the Collection
7 June - 28 August 2011

In the first half of the 20th century, Victor Surbek was among the leading Bernese artists who succeeded Ferdinand Hodler. In 2005 the estate’s executers dissolved the Brunnmatt district studio of the artist couple. From a still rich fund of artworks, the Kunstmuseum Bern had the privilege of selecting those it wanted to complete its collection – which hitherto comprised, among other works, the complete oeuvre of Victor Surbek’s prints.

Victor Surbek studied art at schools in Munich, Karlsruhe, and Paris. Over many decades he painted alpine landscapes and views from his summer studio in Iseltwald on the Brienzersee. Italy had the strongest artistic influence on his work. Of the plane that took him to the USA we only see the suggestion of a wing as it vanishes in the haze of clouds in his large painting Wolkenflug (Cloud Flying), an unusual, ultimately abstract work.

A selection of several of his works from the last gift will help us remember this artist, who was, while deeply rooted here in the region, also a well-travelled man.

Kuratorin:
Therese Bhattacharya-Stettler
 

Tags: Ferdinand Hodler