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Research and Cultural Collections have been very generously presented with a collection of work by the Austrian-born artist Hans Schwarz. In 1939 Schwarz came to England, aged 17, forced into exile by the Nazis. His father, as a central European Jew, was sent to Auschwitz where he died. Briefly interned on arrival, Hans found a home in Birmingham, and it was Birmingham’s warm-hearted welcome that prompted his family to make this magnificent gift. |
Amongst the collection are some drawings made in Birmingham – including one of his bed in his hostel in Bournville – but it is the portraits and figure subjects that stand out. The collection includes some studies of Lena, self portraits, landscapes, and portraits including a group of studies of John Betjeman.
Hans Schwarz is well represented in the National Portrait Gallery, his subjects including Sir Nikolaus Pevsner and the anti-nuclear campaigner Bruce Kent. These and the University’s new collection of his works reflect Schwarz’ expressionist use of vivid colour and interlocking form. One admirer said of his work: “He got the colour all wrong but it looks right.”’
Our publication, 'Research and Cultural Collections: an Introduction', is available free of charge from various points around the campus including the Aston Webb reception desk. Alternatively, please contact us if you would like to receive a copy through the post.
Online Exhibition: Tales of the Unexpected: The interdisciplinary Nature of our Artefacts.
Please feel free to visit our online exhibition which celebrates the interdisciplinary nature of the collections by clicking here.
Print by Julian Meredith
