Albin Egger-Lienz

(Stribach bei Lienz 1868–1926 St. Justina bei Bozen)
Zwei Schnitter (Two Reapers), c. 1922/1924, signed Egger-Lienz, oil on cardboard, 66 x 58 cm, framed
Listed and illustrated:
Wilfried Kirschl, Albin Egger-Lienz. Das Gesamtwerk, Wien-München 1996, vol. II, p. 556, cat. rais. no. M 458, ill. p. 555

Provenance:
Kleine Galerie, Bozen, South Tyrol
Collection Othmar Moroder (1931–2024), St. Ulrich, Gröden, South Tyrol
Private Collection, Tyrol
thence by descent to the present owner - Private Collection, Austria

"I believe that to the deeper connoisseur, even in my pictures such as 'Reapers,' 'The Meal,' and 'The Farmer Taking Holy Water,' the dramatic impulse, the concentration of thought, and the monumentality are clearly evident."
(Albin Egger-Lienz)

The motif of the "Bergmäher" (Mountain Reaper) first appears in Egger-Lienz's œuvre in 1913, forming a trilogy with "Der Sämann" (The Sower)and "Mahlzeit" (The Meal) that revolves around the labour for daily bread and the connection with nature. In the following years, variations with one to three figures were created. In 1918, the artist no longer depicts the figure on short grass, but – following the logic of mowing – in tall grain, which leads to a noticeable expressive intensification of the painterly effect.

In the versions of this sujet after 1920, then called "Schnitter" (Reapers), Egger-Lienz finds an unusual freedom and breadth in his painterly approach, which is exemplified in the present painting. The central figure, with its sweeping arm, is uniquely complemented by the smaller figure in the lower right corner. The opposing diagonals create rhythm and dynamize the movement, further intensified by the broad, rhythmically applied brushstrokes. Also striking is the rare use of colour, where the tonal nuances from ochre to brown gain enhanced plasticity through the changing blues of the sky.