Hans Ranzoni d.J.

06.09.1896 Vienna – 11.10.1991 Vienna

Born in Vienna on September 6th, 1896, his ancestors were Italians but they were not yet devoted to art. His grandparents, however, did not only have artistic interests – with the poet Adalbert Stifter as his grandfather’s tutor one can assume that Stifter’s sensitive perception of nature manifested also in his pupil.

In his parents’ home the young man grew up in an atmosphere influenced by art. His father, Hans Ranzoni the Older, was one of Vienna’s most well known painters and was president of the Fine Artist’s Society.

Hans Ranzoni’s childhood and youth were free from worries,he loved animals and plants .

After his final exam at Junior High School in 1915 he was called to the army, and only after the end of World War I he followed his father’s advice to sign up at the Vienna Technical University.

The pleasure at the beginning of his studies soon yielded to dissonance and aversion against soulless constructions which didn’t allow the young man to express feelings. He made out that only an artistic profession could satisfy him, and especially graphic arts seemed to be the right and only thing for him.

Thanks to the support of his sensitive mother he succeeded to overcome his father’s initial opposition, and in 1923 he started his studies at the Vienna Art College with a course in nude drawing. Hans Ranzoni was deeply impressed by Alfred Cossmann’s work; now he knew that his own graphic work would only develop successfully under Alfred Cossmann’s guidance. In 1925, Hans Ranzoni was admitted to Cossmann’s copper engraving class at the Graphische Lehr – und Versuchsanstalt. In the following three years he experienced the desired sponsorship and instruction by his adored master in all graphic fields. After that, he started to be a freelance artist.

In 1940 he married Edith Riedel who had established a good reputation in commercial art. Soon after that a bomb attack destroyed his apartment and all his artistic belongings. This was a very hard loss for him.

In the year 1945 Hans Ranzoni was appointed to be chairman of the engraving class at the Graphiache Lehr – und Versuchsanstalt as successor of his admired master. For him this meant to be the crowning of his artistic work, though since 1929 he had already earned numerous awards and distinctions on many exhibitions.

Ranzoni was a highly gifted copper engraver who dedicated all his creative power to this only technique. In this, however, he gained high ability of expression and unique craftsmanship. Following his own decision , he confined to the clear, free line, bare of any theatrical effect. This respectful attitude towards the often simple contents of his incomparable graphic sheets makes each single work to an exhilarating source of joy.

I myself had the great pleasure to get to know this man who was so outstanding as an artist and as a person. In all those years my reverence to Hans Ransom was growing, and I was also obliged to his wife Edith in great affection.

His last letter, dated from October 8th, 1991 from Filzmoos, reached me at the same time with the message of his death. Hans Ranzoni passed away on Oct. 11th, 1991. One can not set comfort against the deep sorrow of knowing to have lost somebody irretrievable; but there is deep thankfulness for the fact to have been allowed to witness from a distance the last twelve years on the edge of his life.