Artists / Gallery

Werner Berg was born in 1904 in Wuppertal, Germany, and decided to become a painter after completing a degree in political science in Vienna. He enrolled at the Vienna Academy with Karl Sterrer and continued his education in Munich with Karl Caspar. Emil Nolde became his friend and patron at this time.

In 1931, the artist acquired the Rutarhof, a remote farm in Lower Carinthia, which became the center of the artist's life. This farm was beside Werner Berg's famous peasant representations an often used motif of his unmistakable paintings.

Werner Berg's painting style was declared "degenerate" during the Second World War. However, the artist was allowed to continue to paint in a "naturalistic" style. His artistic development came to a standstill. In the fifties, the breakthrough came, which was reflected in numerous exhibitions and the TV movie "Zu Gast bei Werner Berg". There followed numerous exhibitions. In 1947 Berg became a member of the Art Club in Vienna, in 1950 he was a participant in the Venice Biennale. 1956 was followed by an exhibition in the Austrian Gallery in Vienna, 1957 in the Moderna Galerija Ljubljana and 1961 an extensive show in the Munich Lenbachhaus.

Werner Berg died at the Rutarhof in 1981. The "Werner Berg Museum" in Bleiburg, founded in 1968 was one of the first monographic museums and is constantly displaying an extensive exhibition by Werner Berg.