Oskar Kokoschka - 9 Portraits (1906-1922)
Forgotten Prints #7: Der Sturm & Expressionism
“Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) was born in Pöchlarn, Austria, and died in Montreux at the age of 93… Kokoschka emerged on the art scene in 1908 as a painter, graphic artist, author, playwright and director, and provoked with his radical breaches of conventions. Overcoming the prevalent Jugendstil (a German take on ‘art nouveau’; ‘young art’, ‘new art’, etc.) of his time, he became a central trailblazer of Expressionism, [also having its origins in Germany, making its way to Austria through the work of Kokoschka and Egon Schiele]…
“The political turmoil of the first half of the 20th century turned Kokoschka into a migrant [who was forced to leave his home, along with numerous other ‘modern’ artists and writers, considered enemies of the Nazi party]. As the global political situation worsened throughout the 1930s, Kokoschka—who saw himself as a seismographer of social change and fought for peace, freedom and human rights—used art to convey political messages.” (a note on ‘Oskar Mokoschka’, Leopald Museum Online Collection)
Images 1-4, & 7 from the first few issues of the German arts and literary magazine Der Sturm (1910), edited by Herwarth Walden. While the early issues typically contained just one illustration each, for which Kokoschka provided these striking portraits, Der Sturm would go on to publish a wide range of avant-garde art and artists, from expressionism and cubism, to dada and surrealism.
Images 5-6, & 8-9 (1906/1921/1922/1910) from Paul Westheim, Oskar Kokoschka: Das Werk Kokoschkas In 135 Abbildungen (1925).
—: For Oskar Kokoschka :— by Dick Whyte air so cold the rain freezes, impossibly linear: & the face of the world shows itself
Forgotten Poets Presents
Forgotten Prints: a free, living gallery of obscure and out-of-circulation prints and pictures, lovingly restored from late-1800s and early-1900s magazines and arts journals. Explore the archive . . .
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Noted your ‘celebrate the wins’, had a quick squiz at your posts and saw a name which sent me back millenia – Oskar Kokoschka! Memories flooded with visual art text books which only provided scant info and one or two examples of art works. So, though aware of his expressive style and involvement with the Viennese Exp. movement, I’ve just spent this perfect spring afternoon perusing his art online–one of the true gifts of the internet! What a wonderful portraitist he was. Am delighted in perceiving a sense of humour in his self-portraits… I’m off now to celebrate the wins by delving further and finding more on his writings. Thank you for your gift!! ☮️💟🪷
“& the face / of the world / shows itself - lovely.