Beauty and the Id, The Erotic Visions of Fritz Aigner

Fritz Aigner was an Austrian graphic artist and painter (1930-2005). From a young age, he displayed extraordinary talent and a passion for drawing, making him a child prodigy. From 1943, he had evening courses with Austrian painter, Paul Ikrath (1888-1970).  At 17, Aigner gained acceptance into the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, where he studied under artist Sergius Pauser(1896 –1970). Aigner pursued his studies at the academy until 1952. The Austrian state awarded him a fine arts prize for his artwork. As an artist, he worked in Spain, Ireland, London, and his hometown, Linz.

Fig 1. Frog King from The Beauty and the Beast series

The Rembrandt of Linz

Aigner’s first marriage ended in divorce from artist Auguste Kronheim (1937-2021). Helga Aigner became his wife in 1969, and they had six children together. He collaborated with his three sons, Matthias Claudius Aigner (1971, sculptor, mixed media), Paul Florian Aigner (1972, sculptor), and Lukas Johannes Aigner (1974, painter), all of whom established themselves as artists. He passed away at 74 in Linz.

Rembrandt’s impact on Aigner’s work is most apparent in his oil paintings, where he emulates the Dutch master’s clarity and vision. Aigner earned the nickname “the Rembrandt of Linz” because of his exceptional artistic skills. Fritz Aigner lived a secluded life. Despite withdrawing to align with art trends and groups, he forged his own unique artistic path. However, the Visionary Hall of Fame recognizes Fritz Aigner as a visionary artist.

Aigner continuously experimented with different techniques such as oil painting, woodcut, linocut, aquatint, and color aquatint etching. Starting in the late sixties, Aigner developed a strong interest in Reverse-Glass Painting and its extensive range of possibilities.

Fig 2. Susanne in the Bath, 1973

Fig 3. Self portrait with wife, Helga-1970

Fig 4. The Beauty and the Beast Series

Fig 5. Model and Artist Series

Fig 6. The Beauty and the Bull from the Series, The Beauty and The Beast; 1970

Avant Garde, Picasso’s Erotic Gravures

In 1968, the publisher Avant Garde released a sixty-page book titled Picasso’s Erotic Gravures. The collaboration between Ralph Ginzburg as the editor and Pablo Picasso as the illustrator was instrumental in the production of this book. The slender volume offered an examination of Picasso’s erotic manifestations. Each chapter vividly portrays the illustrations of a liminal dynamic within a subconscious fantasy. 

Fig 7. Avant Garde book titled Picasso’s Erotic Gravures 1968,

Fig 8. Artist and Model from Picasso’s Erotic Gravures,

Fig 9. Among the collection of 1933 Picasso drawings, there is a Freudian Minotaur, a totemic character, that exudes an overwhelming sense of urgency, power, and capability.

Following the release of Picasso’s Erotic Gravures, Fritz Aigner produced his own series called Artist and Model and The Beauty and the Beast in 1969.

Fig 10. Fritz Aigner

Fig 11. Virgins Nightmare, 1993

In the exclusive Premium version of the article, among other things, nice insights on how Aigner’s exceptional talent is visible in his erotic pieces,  the applied aesthetics, and 51 arousing examples of his sensual surrealism

Click HERE for 24 explicit b&w illustrations depicting the erotic surrealism of Michael Hutter

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