Oskar Kokoschka

Style: Naive Art / Primitivism; Expressionism;

Place: Pöchlarn

Born: 1886

Death: 1980

Biography:

Early Life and Education

, an Austrian artist, poet, and playwright, was born on March 1, 1886, in Pöchlarn, to Gustav Josef Kokoschka, a Czech goldsmith, and Maria Romana Kokoschka (née Loidl). His life was marked by a strong belief in omens, which influenced his artistic style. Kokoschka's education at Realschule focused on modern subjects, but he excelled only in art, reading classic literature during his lessons, which later influenced his work.

Artistic Career

Kokoschka's artistic journey began at Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Arts and Crafts) in Vienna from 1904 to 1909. He was one of three accepted out of 153 applicants, under the guidance of Professor Carl Otto Czeschka, who helped him develop an original style. His early works featured gesture drawings of children, portraying them as awkward and corpse-like.

• Kokoschka's first commissions were postcards and drawings for children, which he described as "the basis of artistic training."
• His early career was marked by portraits of Viennese celebrities in a nervously animated style.
• A passionate affair with Alma Mahler inspired his masterpiece, The Bride of the Wind (The Tempest), a tribute to her.

War and Later Life

Kokoschka volunteered for service in World War I and was seriously wounded in 1915. Deemed a degenerate by the Nazis, he fled Austria in 1934 for Prague and later settled in the United Kingdom during the war. He became a British citizen in 1946 and regained Austrian citizenship in 1978.

Legacy

• The Bride of the Wind (The Tempest), a tribute to Alma Mahler.
• Portraits of Viennese celebrities in a nervously animated style.

• Kunsthaus Museum in Zurich, featuring his painting of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer.
• Belvedere Palace & Museum in Vienna, showcasing his works in "The Women of Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka" exhibition.

• Wikioo.org's Oskar Kokoschka page, featuring his artworks and biography.
• Wikipedia's Oskar Kokoschka page, providing in-depth information on his life and work.

Kokoschka passed away on February 22, 1980, in Montreux, leaving behind a legacy of intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes that continue to inspire artists and art enthusiasts alike.