Peter Pongratz (940) - Ohne Titel

Peter Pongratz: Untitled, 1965 — Original Etching / E.A.

Expressive early original etching by the Austrian artist Peter Pongratz, dated 1965. The work shows a tense, gestural-abstract composition with fine etching lines, dark condensations, and open, almost calligraphic forms, still strongly influenced by Informel. Particularly appealing is the contrast between the boldly blackened areas and the delicate, freely drawn lines, which gives the print a lively, experimental effect. The sheet is signed in pencil at the bottom right with “Peter Pongratz” and marked on the bottom left as E.A., i.e., presumably an artist’s proof / Épreuve d’artiste. It is an early graphic work from the 1960s, in which Pongratz’s interest in spontaneous line, expressive gesture, and free figuration is already visible.

The print is on light, rag-like paper with a visible plate edge. The sheet shows age-related patina, slight yellowing, and occasional small stains and signs of wear, but overall a very beautiful authentic vintage aura. The backside is unprinted; the plate imprint is slightly visible there. An interesting collectible for enthusiasts of Austrian post-war art and expressive printmaking.

Artist: Peter Pongratz
Title: Untitled
Year: 1965
Technique: Etching on paper
Edition: E.A. / Artist’s proof
Signature: signed in pencil at bottom right
Condition: age-appropriate good, with paper patina and light stains
Note: unframed; condition see photos

Background: Peter Pongratz was born in 1940 in Eisenstadt and grew up in Graz. He is among the important Austrian artists of the post-war period. He initially trained as an artist in Graz, after which he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from 1960 to 1963. He then continued his studies at the Berlin University of the Arts. In the 1960s he moved in circles of experimental art, music, and literature and developed an independent, expressive visual language. Pongratz was a co-founder of the Austrian artist group “Wirklichkeiten,” which opposed rigid academic conventions. His works often combine free figuration, Art Brut elements, humor, spontaneity, and a strongly gestural line. In addition to painting, he also worked in graphic art, stage design, and music, especially jazz. Many of his works appear deliberately immediate, raw, and poetic at the same time. Today Peter Pongratz lives and works in Vienna and on Korčula and is represented in major Austrian collections.

From a private art and design collection.