ANTON HOEGER
Anton Franz Hoeger, born in 1956 in Munich, Germany, now resides near Dallas, Texas, with his wife and muse. His artistic roots trace back to the Viennese School of Fantastic Realism, where he was a master student of Professor Ernst Fuchs.
His breakthrough came with a solo exhibition at the Museum Meštrović-Pavillon in Zagreb in 2017 (HDLU), where he was awarded an honorary prize for one of the most successful and outstanding exhibitions.
“A special focus of mine is the modern, self-confident woman—a sub-theme I have been exploring for many years. Not only through biblical roles and Greek mythology (which I see as avatars of a specific human archetype), but also in a real, albeit somewhat alienated, context. The concept of the avatar is crucial to my work because it represents a character, a type of human being, rather than a specific person.”
Anton Hoeger is a winner of many international art prizes, and his works have been exhibited in numerous cities around the world such as Montreal, New York, San Diego, Cincinnati, Zurich, Zagreb, Florence, Munich, Nuernberg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Kiel, just to name a few.
Judith by Anton Hoeger
Development and simplification of a visual motif focused on Judith, alongside its intellectual abstraction.
1) Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio (painted in c. 1598-1599)
Judith Beheading Holofernes is a painting of the biblical episode by Caravaggio, painted in c. 1598 – 1599 or 1602,[1] in which the widow Judith stayed with the Assyrian general Holofernes in his tent after a banquet then decapitated him after he passed out drunk.[2] The painting was rediscovered in 1950 and is part of the collection of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome.
2) Judith by Anton Hoeger (painted in 2012)
“In contrast to the traditional image of women, in which a woman could seduce a man with cunning and deceit and other feminine charms, Judith is in a completely different position in my portrayal. She is a modern and self-confident woman.
In the classical depiction of Judith, Judith is wearing her most precious garment. My Judith is equipped with modern attributes. The bodice, which indicates a kind of "chastity", is an important feature. She does not impress with her charms, but with her intellect. She is also an energetic woman, as you can see, but she has a completely different status in society than in the past. She is on a par with men, if not superior. She is aware of her being, her position and her gender. And that is why she was able to do what the picture motif depicts.
As you can see from this formulation, I am now deliberately avoiding "Judith" to draw attention to the background of the work, namely the woman herself. Although all the components of the mythological model are also used in my work, this is only one of the painting's hooks. For some, this may make it easier to understand my art, for others it may be a confusion that needs to be untangled, which I also like. But it's not a mythological remake!
From a mythological point of view, the police cap, as a sign of state power, indicates to me that Judith is not committing this act for personal reasons, i.e. a murder, but that she is legitimizing it for the liberation of her hometown. On closer inspection, however, this does not play a role in my account. I leave this liberation open. It could also be any other liberation. Perhaps even liberation from patriarchy.
In contrast to the classical interpretations, this makes my art more interesting, because I am more complex, and my art cannot be clearly deciphered. So, you can see not only a temporal aspect, but perhaps even a visionary one, such as a battle of the sexes? (Woman cuts off man's head?) The background also has a meaning. It is as if lightning has struck. It changes the world view, so it has a greater impact than is apparent at first glance.”
3) Judith by Anton Hoeger (painted in 2023)
“The newer version of Judith from 2023 consciously foregoes external details, abstracts and concentrates only on Judith. A modern shopping queen. In the bag with the bloody corner of the shopping bag one can assume the severed head of Holofernes.
However, my works have nothing to do with traditional realistic painting. They are more complex and sophisticated than the first impression might suggest. I challenge the viewer to a new way of seeing. To explore the visible and to develop further insights from it.”
Judith (2023) Oil on canvas, 71" x 47"
The Burden (2012) Oil on canvas, 70" x 70"
The New Amazon (2023) Oil on panel, 48" x 23"
Woman with Red Shoes (2019) Oil and mixed media on canvas, 44" x 44"