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Friday
May242019

Kokoschka: Intense Expressionism

DateFriday, May 24, 2019 at 8:00AM

Oskar Kokoschka - Bride of the Wind (also known as The Tempest) - 1913-14 - Oil on canvas - 181 cm × 220 cm (71 in × 87 in) - Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland (click photo for larger image)Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980) was an Austrian artist, poet and playwright, but he is best known for his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes.

Kokoschka moved daringly from a more decorative style into a bold, racy Expressionism. He came of age during turn-of-the-century Vienna, exploring Sigmund Freud's analysis of dreams and the unconscious as well as giving voice to the growing anxiety felt among the bourgeois class about the modern age. His disorienting compositions used bold brushstrokes and strong colors to confront the viewer. His freedom from stylistic constraint as well as his belief in the power of art to raise awareness of contemporary problems set an example for artists from the Abstract Expressionists in the mid-20th century to the Neo-Expressionists of the late-20th century. 

The work featured here is a self-portrait expressing his (Kokoschka’s) unrequited love for Alma Mahler (widow of composer Gustav Mahler). You can read more about that right HERE on What About Art?

AuthorJill | CommentPost a Comment |

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