A selection of recently donated twentieth-century prints, drawing and sculptures from the collections of Lady Isolde Radzinowicz and William Henrich are on view from June 9 – August 15, 2008 at the La Salle University Art Museum.

Lady Radzinowicz amassed the works on exhibition between 1945 and the 1970s with her first husband, Adolf D. Klarmann, long-time distinguished Head of the German department at the University of Pennsylvania. Each year the couple went to Europe, purchasing art—primarily in Italy, Austria and Germany—from young artists whose works they could afford on Professor Klarmann’s academic salary. Over the years Adolf and Isolde collected a significant and eclectic range of works. The couple cultivated personal friendships with many of the artists, from whom the Klarmanns frequently purchased multiple works and with whom they maintained a warm correspondence.

There are several prints by the Austrian artist Karl Korab, who specializes in small landscapes and still lives, and whose work is influenced by the European art movement Tachism and the Old Masters, as well as by Wolfgang Hutter, who is a founding member of the Austrian school of Fantastic Realists. Adolf and Isolde Klarmann’s wide-ranging interests and tastes are reflected in the sculptures they collected, including works by Luigi Gheno (Italian), HaruhikoYasuda (Japanese), and Slavko Tihec (Slovenian). Perhaps one of the most striking works in the show is by Spanish artist Francisco Peinado, who lived for a long time in Brazil, and whose work evinces not only the influence of European Modernism and identifiably Andalusian references, but also Afro-Brazilian elements drawn from the formative years the artist spent in Brazil. There are also magical works by Italian artist Gaetano Pompa, whose work is in dialog with Italy’s past, and a semi-abstract Head by Jürgen Messensee. The best known artist in the show is Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka, but for the most part this rare and personal collection offers a wonderful opportunity to view work that is not otherwise widely known and appreciated in the United States.
Also on view are four lithographs that comprise Benton Spruance’s series The People Work. Like many American Modern artists of his generation, Spruance aspired to create work that was intrinsically American in response to the dominance of European Modernism. Spruance’s style evolved throughout his career. In the 1930s, he worked in a then-contemporary Social Realist vein and The People Work, shows his clear affinity for the work of Ashcan artist George Bellows, Regionalist Thomas Hart Benton, and the Mexican muralists.
Lady Radzinowicz has a close relationship with La Salle University. She is an old friend of the Museum’s founder, Br. Daniel Burke, and her husband, Adolf Klarmann received an honorary degree from La Salle in 1969. An alumnus and former Trustee of the University, William Henrich’s relationship to La Salle is similarly close. He generously donated Benton Spruanc’s first important lithographic series, The People Work (1937), to the Museum last year.

The La Salle University Art Museum is located on the lower level of Olney Hall on the campus of La Salle University at 19th St. and Olney Ave. Summer hours are 10 AM to 4 PM Monday through Thursday and 10 AM to 3 PM on Fridays. Admission is free, though donations are accepted. Classes and group visits by appointment. Special tours can be arranged. For further information call 215-951-1221 or visit our website at http://www.lasalle.edu/museum/.