Gustav Bechler and Leo Putz

 Gustav Julius Karl Bechler 

(Munich 01-08-1870 – 14-09-1959 Innsbruck)

Painter and printmaker. 

Son of woodsculptor Julius Bechler and Johanna Conrad. Studied from 1889 in Munich “Kunstakademie” with Heinrich Knirr (1862-1944) and from 1891 with Karl Raupp (1837-1918), and from 1894 with Paul Hoecker (1854-1910) He was a close friend of Leo Putz (1869-1940) with whom he founded artist group “die Scholle” and worked at the literary magazine “Jugend”. Lived and worked 1898-1905 in Steinberg in Tirol later settling in Maurach and Jenbach and also working as a photographer. Travelled to Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden and in 1911 to Rome. 

Appointed professor in Munich Academy in 1927. He painted mainly alpine landscapes especially around the “Achensee”. His known color woodblock prints are also Alpine landscapes and were published in many books and magazines. 

His earliest woodblock prints date 1902 which put him among the earliest of modern printmakers and the other Munich based printmakers: Emil Orlik, Koloman Moser, Walter Klemm and the Neumann brothers. He married Karoline Frankenhauser from Steinberg and they had three children.

Exhibited with “die Scholle” in the “Glaspalast” im Munich 1909, his woodblock “Schneidende Winter” winning a gold medal while “Winterstille” was awarded a bronze medal in Turin “Internationale Ausstellung” 1911. Exhibited in Berlin 1908, Munich 1910, Cologne1914, Leipzig 1920, in the 1930’s in Innsbruck as a member of the Innsbruck Secession and in Innsbruck 1955 and Achenkirchen 1999.

His prints are collected in “Graphische Sammlungen” in Munich, Vienna, Dresden, Berlin and Leipzig. Member of the KVSch. and DKB.

Dressler Kunsthandbuch 1921: living Maurach Achensee/Tirol 

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Leo Putz 

(Merano 18-06-1869 – 21-07-1940 Merano)

Tirol painter.

Son of the mayor of Merano Karl Putz. Entered Munich “Kunstakademie” at the age of 16 studying with Gabriel von Hackl (1843-1926) and was sent by his father to the “Academié Julian” in Paris returning after military service to Munich to study with Paul Hoecker (1854-1910) where he will have met his friend Gustav Becker. 

In 1897 he opened his first studio and became a member of the Munich Secession and started working for popular and influential magazine “Jugend”.

His best-known works are two series known as the "Boat Pictures" and the "Bathers", putting him somewhere between Renoir (1841-1919) and  Anders Zorn (1860-1920). 

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All pictures borrowed freely from the Internet for friendly, educational and non commercial use only.