Artists / Gallery

The Viennese painter Josef Mikl is considered one of the most important artists of the Austrian Informel. In its abstraction, the human figure, especially in larger yellow, orange and red figure complexes, represents the central theme of his works. Drawing also occupies a special position.

Josef Mikl attended the Höhere Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt in Vienna and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts with Josef Dobrowsky from 1948 to 1955.

Along with Maria Lassnig and Friedensreich Hundertwasser, he was a member of the legendary Vienna Art Club, which was dissolved in 1955. In 1956 Mikl was co-founder of the artists' group Galerie nächst St. Stephan, which also included Wolfgang Hollegha, Markus Prachensky and Arnulf Rainer, who found a passionate patron in Monsignor Otto Mauer.

In 1968 Josef Mikl represented Austria at the Venice Biennale, in 1977 he participated in the Documenta 6 in Kassel. In 1969 he was appointed professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he taught until his retirement in 1997.

The large Redoutensaal of the Vienna Hofburg, destroyed by fire in 1992, was redesigned by Josef Mikl with a ceiling painting and 22 individual paintings.