SwissArtGallery · Documented identity

Arnulf Rainer

The Austrian artist Arnulf Rainer (1929–2025), born in Baden, made overpainting a central method in his work: from 1952, he superimposed brushstrokes on existing works or photographs, persistently exploring the possibilities of this intervention. After studying building construction at the architecture school in Villach, where he graduated in 1949, he founded the Hundsgruppe group in 1950 with Ernst Fuchs, Anton Lehmden, Arik Brauer, Wolfgang Hollegha, Josef Mikl and Markus Prachensky. The group exhibited its work only once, in 1951.

Rainer worked on his own canvases and, from 1953 onwards, also on those of other artists. The gradual accumulation of painterly gestures builds abstract, densely worked compositions. In the overpaintings, the source remains visible to varying degrees: the covering creates a dialogue in which creation and destruction combine with a form of homage to the original. His photographic self-portraits are often covered with gestures that heighten their frenzied expressiveness. From 1963, he also assembled a collection of art brut, bringing together works on paper made by people with mental disorders or people who were marginalised.

A retrospective of his work was held at the Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts in Vienna in 1968, followed by one at the Kunstverein in Hamburg in 1971. He took part in documenta in Kassel in 1972, 1977 and 1982, and represented Austria at the Venice Biennale in 1978. His work was subsequently the subject of retrospectives at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 1984, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1989, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 2000 and the Albertina in Vienna in 2014. In 2002, the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich dedicated a room to him for the permanent presentation of his works.

This profile brings together identity references for Arnulf Rainer and paintings, drawings and works on paper documented in auction catalogues.

16 references are documented at Dobiaschofsky, Kornfeld, Lempertz. Each record links to its source; the amounts are not a general valuation of the artist’s work.

Works recorded at auction

Lempertz · Lot 342

Junge Frauen nach der Überzeichnung

Ölkreide auf Karton

Auction date : 2024-11-30

Published result : 21420 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 12000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 330

Untitled

Bleistift auf Ultraphan mit Muster eines Millimeterpapiers mit Tesafilm auf Karton montiert

Original catalogue wording

Ohne Titel
Bleistift auf Ultraphan mit Muster eines Millimeterpapiers mit Tesafilm auf Karton montiert

Auction date : 2023-12-02

Published result : 6300 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 6000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Kornfeld · Lot 145

Schwarze Übermalung

Oil on chipboard

Catalogue period : 2023-06-16

Published result : 220000 CHF

Hammer price, excluding fees

Estimate : CHF 200000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Kornfeld · Lot 146

Orange Übermalung

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Orange Übermalung
oil on canvas

Catalogue period : 2023-06-16

Published result : 220000 CHF

Hammer price, excluding fees

Estimate : CHF 180000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 348

Zudeckung

Tusche auf Shirting-Textil

Auction date : 2023-06-07

Published result : 23940 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 10000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 316

Ohne Titel (Aus: Serie Mariposa)

Tusche und Kreide auf Farbkopie

Auction date : 2021-12-04

Published result : 6875 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 5000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Kornfeld · Lot 682

Köpfe oder Zöpfe

Watercolour

Original catalogue wording

Köpfe oder Zöpfe
watercolour

Catalogue period : 2021-09-16

Published result : 20000 CHF

Hammer price, excluding fees

Estimate : CHF 7500

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 380

Berg

Ölkreide auf Karton

Auction date : 2021-06-18

Published result : 10000 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 8000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 382

Gesicht für Nitsch

Ölkreide auf Ultraphan

Auction date : 2021-06-18

Published result : 8125 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 6000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 744

Ohne Titel (Aus: Serie Mariposa)

Gouache

Original catalogue wording

Ohne Titel (Aus: Serie Mariposa)
gouache

Auction date : 2019-11-30

Published result : 6200 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 5000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 623

Untitled

Oil on cardboard

Original catalogue wording

Ohne Titel
Öl auf Karton

Auction date : 2019-11-29

Published result : 47120 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 35000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 599

Untitled

Ölkreide und Graphit auf Ultraphan mit Muster eines Millimeterpapiers mit Tesafilm auf Karton montiert

Original catalogue wording

Ohne Titel
Ölkreide und Graphit auf Ultraphan mit Muster eines Millimeterpapiers mit Tesafilm auf Karton montiert

Auction date : 2018-12-01

Published result : 6820 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 3000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 701

Untitled

Ölkreide auf Ultraphan mit Tesafilm auf Karton

Original catalogue wording

Ohne Titel
Ölkreide auf Ultraphan mit Tesafilm auf Karton

Auction date : 2017-12-02

Published result : 17360 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 6000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Lempertz · Lot 665

Ohne Titel (Momie)

Acryl auf Laserprint auf Karton

Auction date : 2017-06-01

Published result : 5704 EUR

Including buyer’s premium

Estimate : 4000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Dobiaschofsky · Lot 2137

Body

Mixed media on paper

Original catalogue wording

Körper.
Mischtechnik auf Papier

Date to be documented

Published result : 7000 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 16000

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Dobiaschofsky

Untitled

Mischtechnik auf Ultraphan-Millimeterfolie

Original catalogue wording

Ohne Titel.
Mischtechnik auf Ultraphan-Millimeterfolie

Date to be documented

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

View the lot at the auction house ↗

Sources and references

• Reference record
• ARTIC · Reference link only; institutional text and images are not reproduced.
• LoC · Reference link only; institutional text and images are not reproduced.
• MoMA · CC0
• Documentary source
• Documentary source
• Documentary source

SwissArtGallery documentary note based on the cited sources. Titles, media and qualifications are provided in the profile language; the original catalogue wording remains available in each record.
Documentation updated : 2026-10-19