Oskar Kokoschka

Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) was an Austrian painter, printmaker, and writer associated with Expressionism. His portraits and landscapes are known for restless brushwork and psychological intensity.

The Bride of the Wind: A 1913–14 painting of Kokoschka and Alma Mahler embracing amid a turbulent, dreamlike landscape. Its entwined figures make his relationship with Mahler a charged subject of self-portraiture.
Alma Mahler: An Austrian composer, socialite, and patron who was married to Gustav Mahler and later had relationships with other artists. Her relationship with Kokoschka inspired some of his most intensely personal works.
Vienna Secession: An artists’ association founded in Vienna in 1897 to exhibit modern art beyond the established academy system. Its break with academic conventions preceded Kokoschka’s emergence in Vienna.
Degenerate art: A Nazi label used to condemn modernist art and remove it from German public collections. Nazi authorities denounced Kokoschka’s modernism and included his work in the 1937 Munich exhibition.
Portrait of Adolf Loos: A 1909 portrait by Kokoschka of the Viennese architect Adolf Loos. Its tense gaze and angular handling show Kokoschka’s early approach to psychological portraiture.
Adolf Loos: An Austrian architect and cultural critic known for advocating architectural simplicity and opposing applied ornament. Loos championed Kokoschka early and helped secure commissions for his portraits.
Vienna Kunstgewerbeschule: Vienna’s School of Arts and Crafts, where students trained in applied arts and design. Kokoschka studied there, developing skills in drawing and graphic design.
Anschluss: Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria in March 1938. The annexation made Kokoschka’s return to Austria impossible during his exile.
Portrait of Herwarth Walden: A 1910 portrait by Kokoschka of the German art dealer and magazine editor Herwarth Walden. Walden’s portrait connects Kokoschka’s expressive style with the Berlin avant-garde.
Herwarth Walden: A German writer, gallery owner, and editor who promoted avant-garde art through the journal Der Sturm. Walden exhibited and publicized Kokoschka’s work in Berlin.

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Jože PlečnikRelated: Kokoschka designed a mosaic for Plečnik’s Church of the Holy Spirit in Vienna.