Subjective and expressive, figurative and abstract: two significant works by Maria Lassnig – the 1984 painting Der rote Zorn (The Red Wrath) and Meine Eltern (My Parents), a drawing from 1948 – are coming up for auction during Contemporary Week in November.

Maria Lassnig (1919–2014) ranks amongst the most celebrated painters in contemporary art. Her paintings, vividly hued and conceptually rich, constitute a visionary and immeasurably significant body of work. It wasn’t until late in life that this unconventional artist received the recognition she rightfully deserved. Throughout her lifetime, Lassnig confronted marginalisation in a male-dominated art world, persevering until she finally established herself and received the highest artistic honours. She holds the distinction of being the first female artist, alongside VALIE EXPORT, with whom she represented Austria at the 1980 Venice Biennale, to showcase her work in a solo exhibition in the Hoffmann-designed pavilion. In that same year, she became the first woman in the German-speaking world to be appointed a professor of painting. In 1988,
Lassnig received the Grand Austrian State Prize, marking the first time this prestigious award was bestowed upon a woman in the visual arts. Her remarkable career reached its pinnacle in 2013, when she was honoured with the Golden Lion at the Venice
Biennale for her lifelong achievement. The artist’s journey, which had commenced seven decades earlier with a bicycle ride from Carinthia to Vienna, carrying a portfolio of drawings, now stands as an enduring testament to her legacy.