Austrian art restorer Ralf Wittig has shared a remarkable and deeply moving story about his final work on a painting by renowned artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. According to Wittig, who worked on approximately 50 Hundertwasser paintings throughout his career, something extraordinary happened while he was applying gold leaf to the artist's last work following Hundertwasser's death in 2000.

Wittig, who operates his restoration studio at Zwettl Abbey, recalls the profound experience with absolute certainty. "There are no coincidences in this matter," he states firmly during an interview in his workshop. The restorer was working on Hundertwasser's piece titled "996 LES EMANATIONS, 1999" when the inexplicable event occurred. Photographs from July 2000 show Wittig carefully applying gold leaf to tears depicted in the painting, just months after the artist's passing on February 19, 2000, aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 near Brisbane.

The connection between Wittig and Hundertwasser began when the famous Austrian artist had established a presence near Zwettl. Hundertwasser, known for his vibrant colors, organic forms, and architectural innovations, had found a kind of home in the region. This proximity allowed Wittig to develop a professional relationship with the artist, leading to his involvement in gilding work on dozens of Hundertwasser's creations over the years.

What makes this particular restoration work so significant is not just the timing – occurring after the artist's death – but the emotional and spiritual dimension that Wittig experienced. The restorer describes how the painting seemed to manifest genuine grief, as if the artwork itself was mourning the loss of its creator. This experience has left such a lasting impression on Wittig that he remains convinced of its deeper meaning, viewing it as more than mere coincidence.

The work "996 LES EMANATIONS, 1999" represents one of Hundertwasser's final artistic statements, making Wittig's role in its completion particularly poignant. The process of adding gold leaf to the painted tears creates a powerful visual metaphor, with the precious metal literally highlighting the sorrow depicted in the artwork. This technique, which Wittig had perfected through his extensive work on Hundertwasser pieces, took on new significance in this posthumous collaboration.

Hundertwasser, born Friedrich Stowasser, was one of Austria's most celebrated contemporary artists, known for his rejection of straight lines and his philosophy that art should be in harmony with nature. His death in 2000 marked the end of an era in Austrian art, making any unfinished works particularly precious to art historians and collectors. The fact that Wittig was entrusted with completing elements of the artist's final work speaks to the level of trust and professional respect that had developed between them.

The mystical experience Wittig describes adds another layer to the already rich legacy of Hundertwasser, an artist who himself believed in the spiritual power of art and its connection to the natural world. For Wittig, the "weeping" painting represents a profound moment that bridged the physical act of restoration with something far more transcendent, creating what he considers a meaningful final collaboration between artist and craftsman even after death.