Franz Krowacek (born 22nd November 1891 – died, 1956) was a German painter and printmaker. He was born in Dresden, Germany, and studied at the Royal Art Academy in Dresden from 1908 to 1914. As a young man his predominant influence was the dynamic development of pictorial art which defined the early decades of the twentieth century. This was an era of experimentation and post-Impressionism, with artists first delving into Expressionism and Abstraction. After World War I, he travelled extensively in Europe, and his work was influenced by the styles of Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism. In the 1930s, he was associated with the Dresden Secession, a group of artists who rejected the Nazi regime’s control of art. Krowacek’s work was banned by the Nazis, and he was forced to flee Germany in 1937. He settled in Switzerland, where he continued to paint and print until his death in 1956.
Krowacek’s paintings are characterized by their bold colours, simplified forms, and dynamic compositions. He often depicted urban landscapes and scenes of everyday life, but his work also included more abstract and surreal imagery. His prints, which were often produced in editions of only a few copies, are highly sought-after by collectors.
Krowacek is considered to be one of the most important German artists of the 20th century. His work is exhibited in museums around the world, and it has been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions.
Franz Krowacek was taught by several notable tutors including:
- As a master student of Carl Bantzer (born 6th August 1857 in Ziegenhain, and died 19th December 1941), who was a member of the Goppeln artists’ colony near Dresden, before being appointed a professor at the Royal Art Academy in Dresden in 1896.
- As a student of Osmar Schindler (born 21st December 1867 in Burkhardtsdorf, and died 19th June 1927 in Dresden-Wachwitz) who was appointed professor at the Dresden Art Academy in 1903, teaching there until 1924. Schindler’s other notable students included George Grosz, Karl Hanusch and Bernhard Kretzschmar.
- As a student of Richard Müller (born 28th July 1874 in Tschirnitz, Bohemia; died 18th November 1954 in Dresden), a German painter and printmaker. He taught as a professor of drawing at the Dresden Academy from 1900 to 1935