206 - Sylvia Penther* (Vienna 1891 - 1984 Vienna)

Sylvia Penther* (Vienna 1891 - 1984 Vienna) Houses, 1922 oil/plate 39 x 43 cm signed Sylvia Penther, dated 1922 SCHÄTZPREIS / ESTIMATE °€ 2000 - 4000 STARTPREIS / STARTING PRICE °€ 2000 Sylvia Penther was a versatile Austrian painter, graphic artist, and illustrator. She is considered a distinctive representative of Viennese Modernism, a movement characterized by the close integration of traditional craftsmanship and expressive fine art. Her artistic training and understanding of applied arts were shaped by the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts; the school’s reform-oriented curriculum—led by instructors such as Franz Cizek—provided crucial impetus for developing a distinctive design approach that was deeply attuned to the nature of materials. Artists such as Wilhelm Müller-Hofmann and Erich Mallina also exemplify the diverse Viennese art scene of the time, in which graphic art, book arts, painting, and craftsmanship were closely intertwined. In addition to fashion illustrations, Penther created hand-lettered books, series of small-format prints, and over 50 bookplates (ex-libris), predominantly using the woodcut technique. Her printmaking thus aligns with a tradition that also valued the linocut as an immediate and expressive medium. Much like the Wiener Werkstätte, her work combined artistic ambition with the design of everyday objects and a keen focus on books, paper, typography, and decorative form. As a painter, Penther dedicated herself to landscapes and still lifes, working in both oil and watercolor. Her style is distinguished by clean lines, flat planes of color, and a restrained palette—elements that reveal the hand of a trained graphic artist. Beyond classical painting techniques, her work also reflects an interest in encaustic—a wax-based painting method—demonstrating her commitment to both artisanal and experimental processes. PLEASE NOTE: The purchase price consists of the highest bid plus the buyer's premium, sales tax and, if applicable, the fee of artists resale rights and platform fee. In the case of normal taxation (marked ° at the estimate), a premium of 24% is added to the highest bid. The mandatory sales tax is added to the sum of the highest bid, the buyer's premium and platform fee. This amounts to 13% for paintings, drawings, graphic works and sculptures and 20% for photographs and all other items. The buyer's premium amounts to 28% in case of differential taxation. The sales tax is included in the differential taxation.