Emo HEnrich
Emo Henrich was an engineer, skier, musician and plein-air painter from Tyrol, Austria. Raised in a family that valued the arts, his talents were nurtured from an early age. After a ski accident left him bed-bound, his brother encouraged him to use the time painting—and paint he did.
Henrich took his painting seriously from the start, studying under Professor Walter Kühn and employing a traditional application of watercolor. A dedicated draftsman, he frequently created small thumbnail studies to prepare for larger paintings—a habit that became integral to his practice. He would go on to produce thousands of paintings in his lifetime, his work deeply connected to his environment. Henrich rarely painted people, preferring instead to focus on the natural world. His early paintings border on photo-realistic, marked by sharp observation and cleverly naturalistic rendering.
In 1955, Henrich gave up his career as an engineer to pursue his dream of working in the mountains full time. He studied to become a mountain guide in Austria and led several archaeological and mountaineering expeditions in the Argentine Chilean Andes. Following these expeditions, Henrich returned to South America to continue his painting studies. In 1961, he moved to the States and started the Ski School at Stratton Mountain with his wife Anne Henrich and friend Frank Snyder.
After his move to the States, he studied painting with Bob Frick from the Manchester Art Center and Professor Frank Webb from Univeristy of Pittsburgh. He continued to paint and draw religiously in the States throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s.
In 1989, Emo and his wife retired and returned to Austria. During this time, Emo’s work was at its most prolific—and poignant. He had come home to his first love, the Austrian Dolomites. You can feel the relief in the work; the brushstrokes are expressive but self-assured, the atmosphere dynamic and moody, a sensation that could only be captured by a Tyrolean native.
In the gallery, we have a selection of prints from Emo’s late work. The scenes span from Tyrol to Corsica to Vermont, but Emo’s distinctive impressionistic style and love for the mountains can be seen throughout. This exhibition is a celebration of his continued legacy, a testament to a life lived in devotion to beauty, nature, and the art of seeing.
Biography
1922 - 1945 Emo Henrich is born in Innsbruck / Tyrol. Early enthusiasm for the mountains, skiing, playing guitar and singing. Engineering studies. Big mountain tours in the eastern and western Alps.
After military service, becomes plant manager at the Tyrolean TIWAG Hydropower AG. First watercolors. Drawing and painting with Prof. Walter Kühn in Innsbruck.
1946 Invention and patenting of the Firngleiters FIGL (short skis). Young team leader of the Innsbruck section of the Austrian Alpine Club.
1947 First exhibition of watercolors in the Art Salon Czichna in Innsbruck.
1955 Decides to give up his career in engineering in order fulfill his dream of making a living with mountain climbing, skiing, painting and music. Becomes certified mountain guide and ski instructor in Tyrol.
1958 - 1960 Archaeological and mountaineering expedition in the Atacama Puna in the Argentine-Chilean Andes with Prof. Hias Rebitsch. Ski instructor and coach in Oregon, California, Argentina, Chile. Numerous watercolor art exhibitions and multiple prize-winner.
Art travel through Mexico and Peru. Marriage to Ann Kramer.
1961 – 1988 Founds and develops a large ski center with hotel in Stratton Mountain in Vermont, USA together with Ann and his friend Frank Snyder. Manages the ski school 25 years, forms a Tyrolean music and dance group that performs 1000 “Tyrolean evening” events in the United States including tours and television appearances with the group.
Recipient of the golden Tyrolean Eagle Order, the Golden Medal of the Austrian tourism agency, the Silver Medal of Honor of the Republic of Austria, and the Sherman Adams Award (USA).
Birth of his two daughters Mercedes and Christina.
Remains artistically active, trains with painters Bob Frick from the Manchester Art Center and Frank Webb of the University of Pittsburgh. Many individual exhibitions.
1989 - 2000 Together with Ann returns permanently to his old homeland. Builds a Zillertaler style wooden home with an art studio in Upper Lech am Arlberg. Scholarly and artistic travels throughout East Asia, South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Yemen, Egypt, Iceland, Turkey, etc. Above all, particularly as a painter, remains deeply connected with the alps of Tyrol, Vorarlberg and the Dolomites.
Numerous exhibitions of watercolors and drawings in Innsbruck, Lech, Corsica, Reykjavik, Bermuda, aboard the „Maxim Gorki“, etc., as well as a his own gallery in Lech. Over the years teaches multiple watercolor classes in the Hotel Gasthof Post in Lech.
2001 - 2008 Retires and settles down in Igls near Innsbruck. Participates in the annual exhibitions of the „Igler-Art“ in the „Ägidihof” in Igls near Innsbruck.
