Alfred Wickenburg (1885–1978) was born in Gleichenberg and studied at universities in Munich, Paris, and Stuttgart. Early in his career, alongside Wilhelm Thöny, he became one of the first Austrian artists to embrace Cubism, Futurism, and Pittura Metafisica. Wickenburg served as vice president of the Styrian Secession for several years, though his avant-garde approach and a controversial depiction of the Madonna led to the loss of his teaching position in 1933.

By 1934, Wickenburg had rebounded professionally, being appointed professor at the Landeskunstschule and elected president of the Styrian Secession. His international reputation expanded through participation in the Venice Biennale of 1936 and exhibitions at the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris. During the Nazi era, his art was labeled degenerate, prompting him to publicly exhibit more conservative works while privately continuing his modernist explorations.

After World War II, Wickenburg represented Austria as a delegate to UNESCO and served in the Austrian Art Senate. He passed away in Graz in 1978, leaving a body of work that reflects both avant-garde innovation and the challenges of creating modernist art under politically turbulent conditions.