Flora, Paul

Circus, 2000 Ink and colored pencil on paper Signed and dated lower right, titled lower left mount unopened: 16 x 20 cm Loan frame: 300 € (silver leaf frame) Paul Flora (1922-2009) was an Austrian draftsman and caricaturist. He was born in South Tyrol and grew up in Innsbruck. Flora studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and then worked as a freelance artist. Paul Flora's ink drawings are known for their precise lines, high level of detail and black humor. Flora mastered the technique of pen and ink drawing and often created his ink drawings with very thin, filigree lines. The subjects of his ink drawings are often surrealistic or grotesque, depicting exaggerated figures and scenery with a satirical view of the world. Flora had a preference for dark subjects and his drawings were often characterized by a morbid or somber atmosphere. In addition to his work as a cartoonist, Flora also created book illustrations and designed sets and costumes for theater productions. He received several awards and honors for his work, including the Austrian State Prize for Graphic Arts in 1968 and the Bavarian Order of Maximilian for Science and Art in 2001. Today, his works can be seen in many museums and private collections. Flora is considered one of the most important draftsmen and caricaturists of the 20th century in the German-speaking world.