Oskar Kokoschka | Masterpieces of Austrian Expressionism

Oskar Kokoschka was an Austrian painter, draftsman, playwright, and teacher whose emotionally charged art made him a leading figure of European Expressionism. Born in Pöchlarn in 1886 and raised in Vienna, he studied at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts before rejecting decorative convention for psychologically intense portraiture. Supported by figures such as Karl Kraus and Adolf Loos, Kokoschka became known for restless lines, agitated color, and penetrating studies of character. His turbulent relationship with Alma Mahler deeply affected his personal life and imagination. During the First World War, he served in the Austro-Hungarian cavalry and suffered serious wounds. He later taught at the Dresden Academy and traveled widely, creating portraits, landscapes, and city views. Condemned by the Nazis as a “degenerate artist,” Kokoschka fled Austria, lived in Prague, and escaped to Britain in 1938. He became a vocal opponent of fascism and a defender of European humanism. In 1953, he founded the School of Seeing in Salzburg, emphasizing observation and individual vision. Settling in Switzerland, he remained productive into old age. Kokoschka died in 1980, leaving a legacy defined by psychological insight, expressive color, artistic independence, and an enduring belief in painting’s moral power within modern European culture.