Hundertwasser's comment on the work

In the Albertina there was an exhibition of Walter Kampmann, who drew glassily shimmering winter trees. I looked for him for years. I adopted the trees and later traded them for the almond eyes that René Brô painted. Next to Schiele, Walter Kampmann is my great master. (from: Cat. Albertina, Vienna, 1974, p. 92)These were translucent trees, trees with an aura, soul-trees. You could look through them, light was emitted from every tree. There was no shadow, there were no colours, and yet nothing was colourless. You couldn't tell whether it was in the winter, with snow, or in summer, whether the trees were bare or had foliage, whether it was day or night: the trees were timeless. They had halos. The trees wanted to deliver a message to us in a language as yet unknown to us. That was the beginning of my striving to bring the creation of nature and man back together again. (from: Hundertwasser 1928-2000, Catalogue Raisonné, Vol. 2, Taschen, Cologne, 2002, p. 121)

JW 137
30
MÜHLE UND SEELENBÄUME
Mill and Soul-Trees

Semriach, 1948
Painted in Semriach, Styria, summer 1948
600 mm x 440 mm
Pencil on drawing paper
  • Albertina, Vienna, 1974
  • A. C. Fürst, Hundertwasser 1928-2000, Catalogue Raisonné, Cologne, 2002, Vol. II, pp. 121/122 (and b)
  • Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hanover, 1964, p. 89
  • Albertina, Vienna, 1974, pp. 93 (c), 179
  • Museum Ludwig, Cologne, 1980, p. 57 (c)
  • Secession, Vienna, 1981, p. 57 (c)
  • Kulturhaus, Graz, 1981, p. 57 (c)
  • Prospectus for the presentation of the Hundertwasser postage stamp for Austria, Vienna, 1975 (b)