HISTORY of the Firm

We don't know when he started trading or whether he took over from his own father - but their is no doubt that

Alexander Wengraf the Elder,

who died in a sporting accident in 1905, was selling antiques and paintings by 1900.

This watercolour (dated 1900) shows the Gallery in Vienna with his name clearly legible (in the original) over the door, and paintings on view as well.

The Gallery was taken over by his sons Paul and Fritz.

This is Fritz, who largely ran the business,

while Paul involved himself in the cultural milieu of post-war Vienna (his portrait was drawn three times by Schiele). I am extremely grateful to Janine Kertesz who, drawing material from many sources including original archival work, has written a concise and amusing account of the exact site of the gallery as shown (even the corner where the gallery was situated no longer exists) and of the activities of the two brothers. These were published in 1999 as a learned footnote in Volume 5 The Italian Drawings Catalogue of the Albertina Collection, Vienna.

Eventually both brothers came to England though they did not work together again.

On the outbreak of The Second World War Fritz was promptly interned on the Isle of Man

where his portrait was painted by Erich Wagner, who later became a noted restorer.

Fritz's son Alex (Alexander II if you will), took over the Gallery on his parent's death in 1965.

This is the gallery in South Audley Street, seen from the park.

The firm eventually merged with P&D Colnaghi, taking over and managing that firm, but after five years a demerger produced Alex Wengraf Ltd., dealing in Old Master Paintings. 

I, Alex Wengraf, specialise in fine paintings, talking perhaps too much and writing some of it down (sometimes even getting what I have written published), and publishing other stuff here in this section of my web site. I am getting older but this is a recent photograph.

For a listing of some of the institutions I have sold to over the years have a peep at the sold file.

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