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Born in Hungary in 1944, Odon Wagner’s passion for fine art was nurtured as a student in the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna where he graduated an Akademischer Konservator (Professional Conservator) after four years of training. His education lead to work in the conservation departments of well-regarded institutions such as the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Vienna Prehistoric Institute, and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Odon Wagner moved to Canada from Austria in 1969, establishing his fine art gallery and conservation studio in Toronto in 1970. The gallery deals primarily in European art spanning three centuries, but also represents several contemporary North American and Chinese contemporary artists. Fluent in English, French, German and Hungarian, Odon Wagner is able to meet the needs of his clients around the world. As a conservator, Odon Wagner has had a hand in the maintenance and restoration of some significant art collections both in Canada and abroad. He has worked on behalf of thousands of clients, including private collectors, corporate collections and insurance companies. Among his other achievements, Odon Wagner restored the famous painting of the Fathers of Confederation on display at Queen’s Park, the seat of the Ontario government. Because of his background in conservation, Odon is able to take a very calculated look at a work of art, examining a painting from both an artistic and scientific point of view. As an appraiser and authenticator, Odon Wagner has flown worldwide on behalf of clients. He has, for example, traced stolen French Expressionist paintings and has been called in cases where verification a painting’s presumed false signature has been required. Recently, the media has taken an interest Odon Wagner’s discovery of a long-lost painting by J.W. Waterhouse. Odon Wagner’s excellent reputation as a gallery-owner, conservator and appraiser, has lead to speaking engagements and radio interviews. His presentations on collecting and on the nature of the art market have been well received. His television appearances include a W5 episode that investigated the forgery of a Seurat painting, Toujours Toulouse, a CBC special that was built around an exhibition of Lautrec’s work at the Odon Wagner Gallery, and an appearance on TV Ontario’s current affairs program, Studio 2 in conjunction with an exhibition of Rembrandt and Picasso’s etchings at the gallery.
Recently, Odon Wagner appeared as a painting expert on the Canadian Antiques Roadshows. |
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