Original Artwork
Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl - Pastel
“Quarry Scene”
A rare and evocative signed 1917 pastel by the celebrated Austro-Hungarian Symbolist painter, capturing a rugged quarry landscape with striking atmosphere and historic appeal.
Key Details
Artist: Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl (1860–1933)
Title: “Quarry Scene”
Medium: Pastel
Support: Paper (mounted)
Signature: Signed lower right and dated 1917
Dimensions: Image: 32 × 48 cm (12.6 × 18.9 in); Frame: 58 × 76 cm (22.8 × 29.9 in)
Condition: Excellent for its age. No tears or foxing. Some light surface wear to frame consistent with handling, not affecting artwork.
Provenance: From a private UK collection.
Description
A rare and evocative original pastel by renowned Austro-Hungarian artist Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl, signed and dated 1917. This atmospheric quarry scene captures the quiet industry of a mountainous landscape, with a solitary mine tower rising against rugged terrain, rendered in rich, expressive strokes with notable tonal depth. Both historically interesting and highly decorative, the work is supplied mounted in a cream mount and ready to frame.
About the Artist
Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl was born in Temesvár (now Timișoara, Romania) in 1860 and moved to Vienna in his youth. He entered the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 1878, where he trained in classical painting, and by his early twenties was already winning major academic prizes for historical works, including the Imperial Prize in 1891. Deeply influenced by antiquity and symbolism, he became known for mythological and allegorical compositions of dramatic narrative power. In 1898, disillusioned with the changing Vienna art scene and the rise of modernism, he relocated permanently to Rome, where he continued to work in a classical tradition and became a member of the prestigious Accademia di San Luca in 1911. A major retrospective of 70 of his works was held in Rome in 1904, confirming his reputation as one of the leading academic painters of his generation. His works are now held in important public and private collections including the Wien Museum, Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, and institutions in Italy and the United States. In recent decades, collector interest has grown particularly around his expressive works on paper such as this striking pastel.
Estimated Date
Dated 1917.
Provenance & Notes
Signed pastel by a listed artist; an excellent example of an Austro-Hungarian academic painter working in an atmospheric Symbolist landscape mode.
