Publisher's Synopsis
This book is more than just the biography of a forgotten Austrian artist of the 20th century. It is also a contribution to making women visible in art history and to scientifically embedding their artistic achievements in professional discourse. Irma Trattner follows in the footsteps of Margareta Berger-Hamerschlag (1902-1958), the Jewish painter, graphic artist and writer whose eventful life is representative of the crises and upheavals of the first half of the 20th century. After training at the Vienna School of Applied Arts, she emigrated to Palestine (1934) and then to Great Britain (1936) together with her husband, the architect Josef Berger. In addition to painting, she worked as a writer and art teacher in London youth clubs. Her artistic work is diverse and transcends genre and genre boundaries. Her early graphics are influenced by German Expressionism and often criticize the prevailing political and social conditions. In her watercolours, book illustrations and oil paintings, another facet of her artistic work becomes clear. Margareta Berger-Hamerschlag is one of many women who have been marginalized or forgotten by art history and who need to be rediscovered today.
