Herbert Johannes Josef Siebner
(Canadian/German, 1925–2003)
Untitled
c. 1980s
Acrylic on board
Frame: 23 × 20 in. (58.4 × 50.8 cm)
Executed in the 1980s, this striking work on board exemplifies Herbert Siebner's mature Expressionist style, fusing ancient mythological forms with bold color blocks and heavy surface texture. The composition features two dark, totemic figures set within an elemental landscape. A central figure bows forward across a pale, scraped ground, set against a vivid horizontal band of cobalt blue, an orange horizon, and a dark celestial orb. Siebner's tactile paint application and primal figuration reflect his lifelong study of ancient archetypes, human intimacy, and European Expressionism.
Arriving in Victoria in 1954 after studying under Max Pechstein at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin, Siebner is widely credited with helping introduce Modernism and German Expressionism to the West Coast of Canada. In 1971, he co-founded the legendary Victoria Limners Society alongside Maxwell Bates, Myfanwy Pavelic, Karl Spreitz, and Elza Mayhew, creating a vital bohemian collective that transformed the regional art scene. Over the course of his vibrant five-decade career, Siebner held more than 130 solo exhibitions across Canada, Europe, and the United States.
Herbert Siebner was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1973 and remains one of Western Canada's most celebrated 20th-century modernists. His paintings, murals, and sculptures are preserved in major public, university, and historic private collections globally.
Major Accolades & Recognition:
Held over 130 solo exhibitions worldwide during his lifetime
Elected Member, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (R.C.A., 1973)
Co-Founder and President, The Victoria Limners Society (1971)
Recipient, Canada Council Senior Arts Fellowship Grant (1962)
Canadian National Award in Graphic Arts (1956)
Canadian Centennial Medal Recipient (1967)
Retrospective & Solo Exhibitions, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (1955, 1961, 1965, 1970, 1984, 2003)
Selected Permanent Collections:
National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Vancouver Art Gallery (Vancouver, BC)
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Victoria, BC)
Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, ON)
Collection of Princess Fernanda von Thurn und Taxis
City of Berlin Collection (Berlin, Germany)
Confederation Centre Art Gallery (Charlottetown, PEI)
Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, WA)
Herbert Johannes Josef Siebner
(Canadian/German, 1925–2003)
Untitled
c. 1980s
Acrylic on board
Frame: 23 × 20 in. (58.4 × 50.8 cm)
Executed in the 1980s, this striking work on board exemplifies Herbert Siebner's mature Expressionist style, fusing ancient mythological forms with bold color blocks and heavy surface texture. The composition features two dark, totemic figures set within an elemental landscape. A central figure bows forward across a pale, scraped ground, set against a vivid horizontal band of cobalt blue, an orange horizon, and a dark celestial orb. Siebner's tactile paint application and primal figuration reflect his lifelong study of ancient archetypes, human intimacy, and European Expressionism.
Arriving in Victoria in 1954 after studying under Max Pechstein at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin, Siebner is widely credited with helping introduce Modernism and German Expressionism to the West Coast of Canada. In 1971, he co-founded the legendary Victoria Limners Society alongside Maxwell Bates, Myfanwy Pavelic, Karl Spreitz, and Elza Mayhew, creating a vital bohemian collective that transformed the regional art scene. Over the course of his vibrant five-decade career, Siebner held more than 130 solo exhibitions across Canada, Europe, and the United States.
Herbert Siebner was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1973 and remains one of Western Canada's most celebrated 20th-century modernists. His paintings, murals, and sculptures are preserved in major public, university, and historic private collections globally.
Major Accolades & Recognition:
Held over 130 solo exhibitions worldwide during his lifetime
Elected Member, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (R.C.A., 1973)
Co-Founder and President, The Victoria Limners Society (1971)
Recipient, Canada Council Senior Arts Fellowship Grant (1962)
Canadian National Award in Graphic Arts (1956)
Canadian Centennial Medal Recipient (1967)
Retrospective & Solo Exhibitions, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (1955, 1961, 1965, 1970, 1984, 2003)
Selected Permanent Collections:
National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Vancouver Art Gallery (Vancouver, BC)
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Victoria, BC)
Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, ON)
Collection of Princess Fernanda von Thurn und Taxis
City of Berlin Collection (Berlin, Germany)
Confederation Centre Art Gallery (Charlottetown, PEI)
Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, WA)
