What event caused Pachner to quit his commercial career and resolve to only paint what he felt?

The death of his family in the Holocaust

(1915 - 2017) – Pinturas, Biografia e Obras Famosas

The Life and Artistic Evolution of William Pachner

Born in Brtnice, Czech Republic, William Pachner was a painter who studied art in Vienna and worked as an illustrator in Prague. He moved to the United States in 1939, eventually making his home in Woodstock, New York, in 1945. During the war, his anti-fascist and anti-Nazi illustrations were featured in prominent national magazines. Following the news in 1945 that his family had been exterminated by the Germans, he transitioned from a commercial career to painting what he felt.

Pachner's body of work was diverse, encompassing:

As a colorist, his style evolved significantly in later life. After losing sight in one eye, he began working in black and white. His later works addressed themes of loss regarding sight, family, and homeland, utilizing movement and gesture to depict various meanings regarding human life.

Exhibitions and Recognition

A former teacher at the Art Students League in Woodstock, Pachner held numerous one-man exhibitions in New York City and Florida. His work has been showcased at the Tampa Museum of Art, the Florida Holocaust Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida. His art is represented in various institutions, including the Whitney Museum, The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, The Butler Institute of American Art, and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

Throughout his career, Pachner received several prestigious honors, including: