Germany, 1912 - France, 1992

Johnny Friedlander was a well-known twentieth century artist, most renowned for his etchings.

German-born Friedlander studied under Otto Muellar in Breslau, then moved to Dresden, holding exhibitions there. After two years in a Nazi concentration camp, he fled the Nazis and went to Czechoslovakia. Two years later he moved to the Hague, where he had his first solo exhibition. He spent 1939 to 1943 in a series of concentration camps, but survived. He also worked with the French resistance in the south of France. After the war, he worked primarily in Paris, making frequent trips to the United States and holding exhibitions internationally. He also worked as a teacher during this time, becoming a well-loved professor of fine arts.

His abstract paintings were wonderful, but he was most known for his colored etchings. His early works were nearly figurative and monochrome, but as his work developed through the 1960s the etchings became increasingly abstract and colorful. He was prolific, with a distinctive style. His masterful work influenced Hayter at Atelier 21 and others like Graciela Rodo Boulanger. He bequeathed a collection of his prints to the German State and much of his work has been exhibited internationally.

* Biography from PicassoMio