(Graz 1894–1964)
Breaking Waves, signed, dated John. Wagula (19)14, label on the reverse: “Sturm im Hafen. Kat Nr. 183 (Verein der jugendl. Künstler Wien), Frühjahrsausstellung Sezession 1914“, oil on canvas, 94 x 160 cm, framed, (Rei)

Hanns Wagula was one of the founding members of the Secession in Graz. In his early years he attended the provincial art school where he was taught by Alfred Zoff with whom he also undertook a study trip to the USA. His attempt to study at the Vienna Academy came to nought as he was considered to lack talent, and so he moved to Munich to be taught by Adolf Schirner. His training was furthered in Berlin where he learned about three dimensional vision and design from the well-known sculptor Alexander Archipenko. During this period he socialised with artists including Marc Chagall and Wassily Kandinsky. Further study trips took him to Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and the south of France. Wagula’s artistic beginnings are to be found in his paintings, above all in his landscapes. Wagula reached a wider audience by virtue of being a pioneering commercial artist. His designs are among the most innovative of his profession. In later years, Wagula devoted himself to filmmaking, in which he also achieved great success. (Compare: Michalea Reichert, Volker Hamann, Eberhard Schrempf, Grazer Werbegrafiker eine Auswahl, Hanns Wagula, p.161f.)