Collection: Paul Fröhlich

In 1995, Paul Fröhlich’s estate, comprising seventeen oil paintings and several hundred drawings and etchings, was donated to the collection of the Glarner Kunstverein. Following a first-time presentation of the works in 1997, Kunsthaus Glarus is now dedicating again a monographic exhibition to the Glarus artist with Collection: Paul Fröhlich. In addition to presenting a selection of his oil paintings, a significant number of etchings and drawings will also be shown. The selection of works focuses mainly on subjects depicting fantastic and surreal motifs—the styles through which Fröhlich expressed himself artistically, however, are multifaceted. The selection of works also take this into account.

Born in Ennenda, into a family of industrial manufacturers active in the international textile trade, Fröhlich admired the European avant-garde, especially in Vienna and Paris, where he lived from 1925 to 1927 and from 1931 to 1932 respectively. The tensions between the Protestant bourgeoisie he came from and the bohemian life he desired preoccupied him throughout his life.

Fröhlich’s visual language attests to the influences of European art movements of the early twentieth century. Self-taught in drawing, etching, and painting, the artist developed an eclectic style, influenced by Surrealism and Symbolism, but also in part by very conventional approaches. He developed his works, in particular the etchings, with the aid of numerous sketches over extended periods of time. The dense linework in his etchings, as indications of a physical action, simultaneously underscore the urgency of his work. A (nightmarish) and mysterious mood predominate Fröhlich’s landscapes, still lifes, and portraits, conveying a somewhat somber view of the world.

Fröhlich, who suffered from severe depression throughout his life, never managed to establish himself in a network of like-minded professionals or the art market. He last resided in Ascona, where he took his own life at the age of thirty-eight.

b. 1901 in Ennenda. d. 1939 in Ascona.

In 1997, the Glarner Kunstverein published an overview catalog of Paul Fröhlich’s work: Susann Wintsch, Annette Schindler (eds.), Paul Fröhlich. 1901–1939, 1997, with numerous illustrations, German, 48 pages. The book is available in our store and on our website.