Leo Stopfer (born 15 May, 1964) is an Austrian artist who is widely acclaimed as the "Painter of the Ballet-Stars."[2][3][4][5][6] He is especially identified with the subject of ballet, and more than half of his works depict famous dancers of world fame.

Leo Stopfer
Born
Leo Stopfer

(1964-05-15) 15 May 1964 (age 59)
NationalityAustrian
Known forPainting, drawing
MovementContemporary art
Websitehttp://leostopfer.com
The artist is best known for his acrylic work in 2011, named "Bella Figura." The painting represents the ballerina duo Ketevan Papava and Marie-Claire d´Lyse with prints of their hands and feet on canvas.[1]

Biography edit

Early life and art techniques edit

Ballerina Paintings edit

In 1989, Leo Stopfer created his first pastel paintings and drawings of the ballerina Mitra Nayeri.[7]

Later, Stopfer made ballet one of the main themes of his art.[7] Cooperating with many dancers for many years; he created many paintings depicting the ballerinas of the 20th and 21st centuries. Among them are such grandees of the world ballet scene such as Diana Vishneva (the Mariinsky Theatre), Olga Smirnova and Evgenia Obraztsova (Bolshoi Theatre), Vladimir Malakhov (Berlin State Ballet), Maria Abashova (Ballet Theatre of Boris Eifman), Maria Yakovleva (Vienna State Ballet) and Isabelle Ciaravola and Ludmila Pagliero (Opera de Paris).[1][8][9]

Exhibitions edit

Since his first exhibition in 1982, Stopfer's work has been exhibited all around Europe, including London,[8][10][4] Vienna,[11][12][13] Berlin,[1] Moscow, and Luxembourg.[14][15]

Leo Stopfer was the first artist to be invited by the Klimt Villa in Vienna in 2017 to work in the original studio where the master Gustav Klimt lived and worked. This work resulted in dozens of drawings and a large number of women's portraits united under the title "my muses" (German: meine Musen). This series of works was presented at the personal exhibition of Leo Stopfer in the Klimt Villa in May 2018.[16][17]

Stopfer had a current solo exhibition that took place at the Vienna State Opera.[18] At the invitation of the directorate of the Vienna State Opera, Leo Stopfer presented an exhibition of his works capturing dancers of the house to the public.[3][6]

Style edit

Stopfer's earlier paintings are landscapes in an organic-abstract style, using a mixed impasto technique. He combined earth, sand, and stones with acrylic paint to develop a relief-like texture.[1][2]

The artist likes to work with acrylic combined with pencil. He also sometimes works with mixed media, using gouache when the ballerinas dance on his canvas to make prints with their feet.[1]

In his works, the artist tries to express a portion of the dancer's energy.[9] The models depicted by Leo Stopfer are always characterized by heightened sensuality and frankness.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Ballet Inspired: The Interview With The Artist Leo Stopfer". artfashionmag.com. Art & Fashion. 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Dancer's, p. 51.
  3. ^ a b "Ballerina-Schau" [Ballerina Exhibition]. Kronen Zeitung (in German). 7 November 2019. p. 22.
  4. ^ a b "Internationaler Ballettstar-Maler Leo Stopfer zeigt seine besten Bilder".
  5. ^ "ALTA CUCINA LA CHAÎNE DES RÔTISSEURS DEBUTTA A COMO CON UN GRAN GALÀ ALLA VILLA SORMANI MISSEGLIA". 2 December 2018.
  6. ^ a b Werbowsky, Ira (6 June 2019). "FÖRDERPREISVERLEIHUNG 2019 DES BALLETTCLUB WIENER STAATSOPER & VOLKSOPER AN TRISTAN RIDEL UND ZSOLT TÖRÖK". onlinemerker.com.
  7. ^ a b c d Rutage, p. 53.
  8. ^ a b Rutage, p. 56.
  9. ^ a b c Dancer's, p. 52.
  10. ^ "Четвертый Русский бал в Лондоне, Grosvenor House". kommersant.uk (in Russian). Коммерсантъ. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Звёзды на холсте" [Stars on canvas]. Dawai! (in Russian). No. 78. 29 December 2016. p. 29. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Посол РФ: Московский бал в Вене показывает, что диалог стран в норме" (in Russian). РИА Новости. RIA Novosti. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Выставка, посвященная российскому балету, проходит в Вене". rs.gov.ru (in Russian). Россотрудничество. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Перекрестный Год туризма Россия-Австрия представили в Люксембурге". ruvek.ru. Ruskiy vek. 4 April 2017.
  15. ^ Saratovskiy, Nicholas (2 April 2017). "Австрия и Россия представили перекрестный год туризма в Люксембурге".
  16. ^ "In Klimts Atelier wird wieder gemalt". Kronen Zeitung (in German). 30 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Exhibition by Leo Stopfer "meine Musen / my muses"".
  18. ^ leostopfer (4 November 2019). "Leo Stopfer's 3 months Solo exhibition at the Vienna State Opera dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of the Ballettclub Wiener Staatsoper & Volksoper". leostopfer.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.

Bibliography edit

External links edit