Wien, 1. Bezirk (the art of very historic museum buildings of Vienna), Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Accademia delle Arti visive, Academia de los Artes Visuales Clásicas, Académie des Arts visuels, Academy of Visual arts (Schillerplatz)
Martin van Meytens (1695 Stockholm - 1770 Vienna) - portrait of Maria Theresia as Queen of Hungary. 1759 datable, oil on canvas. Commission of the Academy 1759. GG-103


Martin von Meytens (1695 Stockholm - 1770 Wien). Bildnis Maria Theresias als Königin von Ungarn. 1759 datierbar, Öl auf Leinwand. Auftrag der Akademie 1759. GG-103

On the history of women's studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

1897
Conservative journalist A.F. Seligmann founded the art school for women and girls and taught there as a single teacher 16 students in the &quot;Curs for head and act&quot;. 1898 expands the school: Tina Blau, a former teacher of the Munich artists association conducts 1.1.1898 a &quot;Curs for landscape and still-life&quot;, which she held until 1915. Richard Kauffungen was nominated for sculpture, Ludwig Michalek led the &quot;Curs for head and act&quot; as well as an Radierkurs (etching course), Adolf Böhm the course for decorative and applied arts, Fabiani teaches ornamentation and style of teaching as well as &quot;Modern home furnishings&quot;, Georg Klimt taught metalwork, Friedrich King wood cutting art and Hans Tichy from 1900 the drawing and painting from the living model. In all these teachers are moderate modern artists from the area of the Secession. The theoretical lectures are held in the company founded by Emil Zuckerkandl and Julius Tandler 1900 &quot;Association of Austrian university lecturers Athenaeum&quot;, which had the task to be &quot;an educational institution for members of the female sex&quot;. The first school year was completed with 64 students, the school is rapidly expanding, so that it forms 200-300 students annually within a few years. The steady growth is due to the restrictive attitude of the public schools of art (especially the academy) towards women, but also from the indiscriminate admission of which have been blamed all the private schools also on the part of women harshly, and just by women.
1904
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is one of the many requests for opening the Academy for students once again putting the old arguments against that women are rarely equipped with creative spirit in the field of great art and the other a &quot;proliferation of dilettantism and a pushing back of male members&quot; is to be feared. Just the idea of a joint education had &quot;abhorred&quot; the College. The Academy therefore advocates for the financial support of the art school for women and girls, and rejects the application for opening the academy for women unanimously. The main argument for the impossibility of the joint Aktzeichnens (nude drawing) and the need for a second Aktsaales (nude hall) is increasingly mentioned, which cannot be realized because lack of space and lack of money. Henni Lehmann (Artistic studies of women, Darmstadt 1913) countered the same argument in Germany: &quot;The common nude studies of women and men can not be described as impossible as it is done in many places, without having shown any grievances&quot;. The objection of the Quorum of the Berlin University professors that no teacher could be forced to teach women at all in such delicate subjects is countered that the problem was easily solved by entrusting a lady the Aktunterricht (nude drawing) in ladies. Suitable artists were plentiful present. That the life drawing for a long time (until 1937) remained problematic, shows the application of the renowned sculptor Teresa F. Ries of 1931, in which she was offering the Academy her services for the purpose of the management of a yet to be affiliated department, where young girls separated from the young men could work under the direction of a woman. The application was not even put to a vote.
1912
The rector of the Munich Academy also does not believe in the inclusion of students (female ones): &quot;... it is impossible, even with regard to the space conditions, apart from that that the aspirations of the artists who devote themselves to the arts especially are usually others than that of women...&quot;
1913
No significant change in attitude can be found between the opinions of the Academies from 1904 and those of 1913.
1919
In the report from the College's meeting of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna to the State Office of Internal Affairs and Teaching is communicated that against the requested admission there were no fundamental objections, but that the Academy is so limited in spatial relationship, that after the experiences of the last entrance exams not even the majority of gifted young artists, capable of studying, could be included, and therefore, in case of the admission of women to the study initially had to be made ​​a considerable expansion. The State Office counters that a further delay in the admission of women to the academic study could not be justified and that approval is to allow at least temporarily in a narrow frame.
1920
The State Office for the Interior and Education officially approved the admission of women to study at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (since 1919 women were admitted to all faculties of the University of Vienna, with the exception of the Catholic and Protestant Theological Faculty).
A committee consisting of the professors Bacher, Delug, Schmutzer, and Jettmar Muellner claims that the Academy has never pronounced in principle against women's studies but have always only expressed reservations because of the cramped space and financial situation. As a complete novelty proves that no more concerns are raised with regard to coeducation. Men and women should compete in the entrance examination. In the winter semester 1920/21 will be included 14 women, of course, representing only a small minority in relation to the 250 male students.
1926/1927
In the new study regulations are for the first time mentioned Schüler (M) and Schülerinnen (F).
March 1927
Report of the Academy of Fine and Applied Arts about the experiences regarding the access of women to universities: ...&quot;in past years it was thought for the education of women and girls by the Academy of Women for Liberal and Applied Art, which is also equipped with academic classes and by the State subsidized, sufficiently having taken precautions: during a period of almost seven years of study, it was probably possible to get a clear picture about the access applications of women, and about the degree course ... Of course, the number of female candidates in the painting is strongest, weaker in sculpture, and very low in the architecture. As much already now can be said, that in no way in terms of education in the new admissions the women are left behind the male candidates. During the study period, the female students are not in diligence and seriousness of studying behind their male colleagues. Particularly gratifying can be emphasized that because of the co-education of both sexes in common rooms in the individual schools a win-win situation for everybody was. In the master schools the College was repeatedly able also honouring women with academic prices. Subsuming, it should be emphasized that our experiences with the study of women in the Academy of Fine Arts were quite favorable.&quot;
The number of students (Studentinnen) increased from 5 % in the winter semester 1920/1921 till 1939/1940 to about 25 %. After the annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany, the number of students (Studentinnen) decreased. The proportion of female students rose after 1940 naturally, reached during the war years up to 70 % and amounted 1945/1946 to 65%. From 1946/1947 the number of students (Studentinnen) fell sharply again, so 1952/1953 only 20% of the students at the Academy were women. 1963/1964 there were, however, already 41% (278).
2002
Students (Studentinnen): 570 of 936 students
University professors (Universitätsprofessorinnen): 9 out of 29
Ao Univ. (extraordinary female professors) 2 of 12
Univ.Ass. (female university assistant) 18 of 41
Contract teachers (Vertragslehrerinnen): 3 of 7
Lecturer (Lehrbeautragte): 32 of 46
 
Almut Krapf
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