Fritz Brandtner

Who was Fritz Brandtner?

Friedrich Wilhelm Brandtner, known during his life as Fritz Brandtner, was a German-Canadian artist and art instructor. At one time or another he worked as painter, printmaker, graphic artist, illustrator, muralist, and set designer.

Brandtner emigrated to Canada from Germany in 1928. Following a short stay in Winnipeg he settled in Montreal in 1934. A prolific artist and thinker, he actively participated in the cultural life of Canada. He was also a passionate art-educator, teaching classes with Canadian painter Marian Scott. Brandtner introduced notions of the German Expressionists to Canada, especially the works of Bauhaus and abstractionism.

Brandtner was a close friend of Montreal art dealer Paul Kastel of the Kastel Gallery. Kastel was named the executor of the Brandtner estate, and Kastel continued to promote Brandtner's work over the following four decades. In 2011 Galerie Valentin held a retrospective exhibition of works by Fritz Brandtner.