Oskar Kokoschka

Lore & Background

Oskar Kokoschka was the second child of Gustav Josef Kokoschka, a goldsmith, and Maria Romana Kokoschka. He had a sister, Berta, and a brother, Bohuslav, as well as an elder brother who died in infancy. His family faced financial instability, leading to frequent moves to smaller flats. Kokoschka drew closer to his mother, seeing himself as head of the household, and supported his family when he gained financial independence. He was interested in primitive and exotic art featured in ethnographical exhibits. His early works included gesture drawings of children portrayed as awkward and corpse-like. He received commissions from the Wiener Werkstätte for postcards and drawings. His early career featured portraits of Viennese celebrities in a nervously animated style. In 1912, he delivered the essay “Von der Natur der Gesichte” outlining his artistic conceptualization of inner vision and optical sight. Architect Adolf Loos befriended him and introduced him to subjects for portrait paintings. Kokoschka painted most of his portraits between 1909 and 1914, maintaining artistic freedom as commissions were often ordered by Loos. His portraits used expressive color and incorporated hands to capture emotion.

Reader's Guide

Oskar Kokoschka's significance lies in his role as a key figure in Viennese Expressionism, both through his art and his theoretical contributions. His portraits and landscapes, marked by intense expressionistic style, broke from traditional conventions, while his essay “Von der Natur der Gesichte” articulated a vision-based theory that linked inner imagination with optical sight, influencing the movement's understanding of subconscious creation. His early work, such as Die träumenden Knaben, demonstrated a transition from Jugendstil to Expressionism, incorporating medieval composition, folk art, and stylized ornamentation. Despite initial backlash, Kokoschka's integration of modern elements—such as expressive color and gestural hands—into portraiture expanded the genre's emotional range. His teaching, though unconventional and focused on storytelling and mythology, reflected his belief in sensory-based learning derived from Comenius. Kokoschka's legacy endures as a pioneer who challenged artistic norms, merging personal vision with broader cultural currents, and his theories remain foundational for understanding Viennese Expressionism.

Did You Know?

• Kokoschka had a strong belief in omens, spurred by a story of a fire breaking out in Pöchlarn shortly after his mother gave birth to him.
• His portrait subjects were often clients of architect Adolf Loos, who ordered the portraits and agreed to purchase them if the sitter chose not to.
• Kokoschka's essay “Von der Natur der Gesichte” outlined his concept that inspiration stemmed from daily observations collected optically and manifested in the subconscious.