When Kokoschka was a child, he was given a copy of the book Orbis Sensualium Pictus, written in 1658 by Jan Amos Komenský, also known as Comenius, who believed in the transformational power of education. The pedagogical approach of the book left a deep mark on Kokoschka. Ever since, the quest for knowledge became a constant throughout his life and work. The pursuit of an understanding of the world through images will also inform his critical and political thinking later in life.

“And since I am a man who experiences the world through his eyes, not his ears, I will speak of what I have seen.” Oskar Kokoschka

Orbis sensualium pictus, 1658 by Johann Amos Comenius