Although Floch enjoyed some success early in his career in Vienna, his wish to leave his homeland became ever greater in the years following the First World War. In his diary, which is published here for the first time, Floch noted, full of bitterness, 'Vienna is the city of music, painting takes second place.' In 1918 Floch travelled to Munich, where he saw pictures by Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and Hans von Marées for the first at the Pinakotek, which left a deep impression on the young artist - and subsequently on his understanding of art.

From then on, he was fascinated by the art of others and, restless, he undertook journeys to the Netherlands, Dalmatia and Italy, although, above all, to Trieste, where relatives of his livDorotheum, Vienna...