Oskar Kokoschka. A Rebel from Vienna
03.17.2023 - 09.03.2023
A painter, poet, writer, essayist, and playwright, Oskar Kokoschka (b. 1886; d. 1980) began his career in early 20th-century Vienna alongside artists Gustav Klimt (b. 1862; d. 1918) and Egon Schiele (b. 1890; d. 1918). His first works shocked the public and critics alike, earning him the nickname Oberwildling—“the most savage of them all.” Yet his rich personal and artistic path went on to span the 20th century and was intrinsically linked to the historical events that shaped it.
Throughout his career, Kokoschka demonstrated a thirst for independence and refrained from associating himself with artistic movements. If the artist accepted one epithet to describe himself, it was that of expressionist. “I am an expressionist because I do not know how to do anything other than express life.” His commitment to his art is reflected in each of his works and places him as an essential witness to his time and its transformations.
A radical artist from the start, he became a target of the Nazis, who considered him a representative of “degenerate art.” He fought against fascism with his work, becoming an influential figure for European reconciliation after World War II and actively participating in the cultural reconstruction of a devastated continent.
Galleries: 205, 206, 207, 209
Curators: Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer in collaboration with Fabrice Hergott and Fanny Schulmann
Venues: Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Exhibition organized by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, Paris Musées
Oskar Kokoschka
The Painter II (The Painter and His Model II) [Der Maler II (Maler und Modell II)], 1923
Oil on canvas
85.5 × 130.5 cm
Saint-Louis, Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May, 1983
© Fondation Oskar Kokoschka, 2023, VEGAP, Bilbao
Virtual Tour
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Oskar Kokoschka. A multifaceted artist
As part of the Didaktika project, the Museum designs educational spaces and organizes complementary activities for the exhibitions, both in the galleries and online, to contribute to the appreciation and understanding of the works on display. ...
Kokoschka, An observer
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. ...
Kokoschka, A rebel
At the turn of the century, Kokoschka’s rejection of the ornamental style of Jugendstil in favor of a crude representation of the human figure, and the provocative themes he addressed in his writings, like sexual taboos, shocked the very conservative Viennese society. ...
Kokoschka, A Painter
In his portraits, rather than achieving likeness, Kokoschka sought to convey the inner self of his models; to do so, he engaged in conversation and allowed them to freely carry on with their duties while they were being painted to eventually reveal who they really were. ...
Kokoschka, A Degenerate Artist
In 1937, as part of the propaganda of the Nazi regime, a touring exhibition entitled Degenerate Art was organized in Munich. ...
Kokoschka, A teacher
In 1953 Kokoschka founded his School of Vision in Salzburg. His goal was to train the gaze of the young as the only tool capable of perceiving the reality of the modern world. ...
Kokoschka, A Humanist
After two world wars, Kokoschka felt the urge to convey his humanist ideas. Classical culture became an important reference in his late paintings and writings. ...
