Adolph Wolfli Paintings

Adolf Wölfli, often spelled Adolph Wolfli, was a Swiss artist who is one of the most famous figures in the field of outsider art, a term applied to artists who develop their distinctive and innovative styles outside the established art scene, often without formal training. Born on February 29, 1864, in Bern, Switzerland, Wölfli had a traumatic and impoverished childhood. After his father abandoned the family and his mother passed away, he was placed in a series of foster homes. He received very little formal education and worked as a farmhand and laborer.

Wölfli's adult life was marked by hardship and mental health struggles. At the age of 31, he was convicted of attempted child molestation, which led to his admission to the Waldau Clinic, a psychiatric hospital in Bern, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. It was during his confinement that Wölfli began to draw and write extensively, transforming his traumatic life experiences into a complex artistic universe.

His creative output is vast, encompassing an estimated 25,000 pages of drawings and writings, which include an elaborate mythology, fantastic narratives, and a detailed autobiography titled 'From the Cradle to the Grave.' Wölfli's work often features intricate patterns, musical compositions, and a unique system of symbols and codes. He also created his own 'Wölfli language,' which adds to the enigmatic quality of his art.

Despite his isolation, Wölfli's art gained attention through the efforts of Dr. Walter Morgenthaler, one of his psychiatrists, who published a study on the artist in 1921, bringing his work to the attention of the European avant-garde. After his death on November 6, 1930, Wölfli's work was largely forgotten until the 1970s when it was rediscovered by artists and scholars, leading to international recognition and exhibitions. Today, Adolf Wölfli is celebrated as a seminal figure in the Art Brut or 'raw art' movement, with his work displayed in major museums and collections worldwide, including the Adolf Wölfli Foundation at the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern.