Oskar Kokoschka

_{Pöchlarn/Donau 1886 - 1980 Villeneuve/Genfersee}

Oskar Kokoschka was born in 1886 in Pöchlarn at the Danube in Lower-Austria. He studied Painting at the “Kunstgewerbeschule” owned by the Austrian Museum for Art and Industry. In 1907 Kokoschka joined the “Wiener Werkstätte”, which he left soon due to the influence of Adolf Loos, his mentor and one of his closest friends. Through Loos’ intervention the young artist got in touch with Herwarth Walden, editor of magazine “Der Sturm” and subsequent founder of correspondent gallery. As a result they developed an artistic collaboration until 1916. Walden’s magazine as well as his gallery were crucial institutions for the distribution of Expressionism, Cubism and Futurism in Germany. From 1912 onwards Kokoschka also became well-known abroad. From 1917 to 1923 he was living in Dresden, Germany. Due to his travels through Europe and northern Africa, Kokoschka only did minimal work as a profesor at Dresden's academy. In 1937 the exhibition “Degenerated Art” was inaugurated in Munich’s “Haus der Kunst”, where Kokoschka was represented and at the same time denunciated with eight of his works. During 1938 Kokoschka fled from National Socialism to London where he became a British citizen in 1947. After the World War, Kokoschka received several distinctions and participated in numerous meaningful exhibitions. Moreover, Kokoschka directed the “Schule des Sehens” at Salzburg’s international summer academy for the first time in 1953.
Oskar Kokoschka died in1980 in Villeneuve at Lake Geneva.