Oscar Kokoschka at the Courtauld

Small exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery looking at work by Oscar Kokoschka left to the gallery an in particular at the illustrations and calligraphy for his book “Dreaming Youths” which was originally published in 1908.

This show compliments the current Ego Schiele show as Schiele is reported to have said that his drawing was influenced by this work. I am not sure I saw the visual link other than that the book fit the Viennese style of the time. I felt it was more Klimpt like.

The book started as a children’s work but became a poem about adolescent sexuality. Recurring images includes water, stylised plants and gesturing figures.  I loved the childlike use of primary colours and the interesting use of the white of the paper.

These were shown with two paintings by Kokoschka one of which was of Polperro in Cornwall where he settled for a while. Oddly early 20th Vienna and Cornwall don’t fit together in my mind so I now want to find out more!

 

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