Herbert Brandl

Herbert Brandl (17 January 1959 – 27 July 2025) was an Austrian painter. He was part of the Junge Wilde trend, sticking to traditional media. His mostly large paintings in bright colours, abstract landscapes inspired by nature, became part of major collections such as the Albertina in Vienna, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid. He represented Austria at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

Life and career Brandl was born in Graz

Brandl's interest in painting mountain landscapes arose after a visit to Switzerland in 2000. While his paintings resemble the mountain ranges of the Himalayas and the Dolomites, his works are untitled and do not depict identifiable mountains. Instead, Brandl sought to pursue an investigation into the intrinsic quality of a mountain, dispensing with its name altogether. "The process of going from a blank canvas to a mountain on the canvas is perhaps, for me, like a simulated alpine experience", he explained. His style was influenced by Zen Buddhism, with its attention to simplicity and spontaneity. Brandl also had a passion for collecting Buddhist art.