Olga Fisch

Olga Anhalzer Fisch (Budapest, 1901- Quito, December 30, 1990[1]) was a Bauhaus artist, rug maker, art collector, and gallery owner.[2] Her work is in the collection of the United Nations and has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center, and The Textile Museum.[2][3]

Her collection of Ecuadorian art and artifacts was featured in the Renwick Gallery's 1981 exhibition, A Feast of Color: Corpus Christi Dance Costumes of Ecuador.[4]

Fisch, who was Jewish, fled Hungary due to Nazi persecution. She and her husband, Bela, settled in Ecuador in 1939 and opened the gallery, Olga Fisch Folklore, in 1942.[2]

Early life

Fisch was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1901 and lived in the town of Győr, Hungary.[5]

As a child, she collected folk art from Hungarian villages.[6]

Fisch was Jewish.[5]

Career

Fisch worked painting ceramics in Vienna, Austria and went on to study painting in Düsseldorf, Germany where she met her first husband, Jupp Rubsam. The couple later divorced.[5][6]

Fisch and her second husband, Bela, fled Hungary due to Nazi persecution. In 1939, they settled in Quito, Ecuador where Fisch taught at the Quito School of Art.[6]

Fisch became interested in Ecuadorian culture and began collecting folk art created by Indigenous Ecuadorian artisans.[2]

She designed rugs inspired by Ecuadorian culture. The rugs were produced by local weavers.[3]

Three months after The Fisches arrived in Quito, they were visited by Lincoln Kirstein of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Kirstein purchased a rug from Fisch for $300. The couple used the money to open their gallery, Olga Fisch Folklore, where they sold Fisch's works as well folk art and other pieces produced by local artisans.[2]

Fisch compensated the craftspeople who worked for her, as well as the artisans whose worked she sold, with a living wage.[5]

As of 2023, Olga Fisch Folklore, also known as simply Olga Fisch or Folklore is still in operation.[7]

Death

Fisch died in Ecuador on December 30, 1990.[5]

Collections

United Nations, Handwoven Ecuadorean Rugs, Acquired February 20, 1956

References

  1. ^ "Olga Fisch: biografía del artista e historial de precios en 1stDibs". 1stDibs.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e Blake, Harriet L. (1981-02-01). "Painter and Patron of Primitive Art". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  3. ^ a b "United Nations Photo - 309.jpg". dam.media.un.org. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  4. ^ Fenyvesi, Charles (May 28, 1982). "The Artistry Of Olga Fisch". The Washington Post.
  5. ^ a b c d e Guerrero, Belen (2018-12-19). "El asombroso mundo de Olga Fisch - CLAVE Turismo Ecuador". Clave! (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  6. ^ a b c "Olga Fisch: artist and mentor of Ecuadorian folk art". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  7. ^ "Olga Fisch Folklore in Ecuador". My Guide Ecuador. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
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