Waldemar Unger II 1903

Richard Gerstl painted this portrait of Waldemar Unger II, using oil on canvas. The texture is built up in layers, with visible brushstrokes that catch the light. What’s fascinating here is the tension between artistic expression and social context. The rich impasto suggests a passionate, even impulsive approach to painting. Yet, the sitter is presented in formal attire, a suit and tie that speak to bourgeois respectability. Gerstl was known for his unconventional lifestyle and intense emotionality, which ultimately led to his tragic suicide at a young age. The very act of painting, the labor and physical engagement with the materials, becomes a way of mediating between the artist's inner world and the external constraints of society. Ultimately, understanding the materials and the act of making allows us to appreciate the full complexity of Gerstl's work, challenging our assumptions about what constitutes "fine art" and what it means to be an artist within a particular social and economic framework.