Belle Epoque

Ernestine Tahedl is a prizewinning Austrian painter based in Canada whose vibrant abstract works have been featured in solo exhibitions internationally and are held in permanent collections. Her greatest artistic influence was and still is her father, an artist himself, and she worked alongside him for several years before immigrating to Canada.

My love for music and my Austrian roots melded together to provide the inspiration for my pony, La Belle Époque. She represents a combination of abstractionist techniques. Inspired by classical music, Belle pays homage to the Viennese painter of the ‘Belle Époque,’ Gustav Klimt, in my borrowing and recreating some of his decorative elements. This pony represents both the past and present for me; spirituality and serenity are integral to my work, as well as color and light. Color, to me, is light.