Kokoschka

Oskar Kokoschka (February 1, 1886 – February 22, 1980) was an Austrian painter, printmaker, and writer. He is regarded as a leading figure of Austrian Expressionism, known for an intensely emotional and psychologically charged approach to art.

He studied in Vienna and became associated with the Austrian expressionist movement, developing a highly personal style marked by vigorous brushwork, bold color contrasts, and a focus on inner experience. Kokoschka produced a prolific body of work across portraits, self-portraits, landscapes, and stage designs. His portraits of contemporaries, especially Alma Mahler, are among his best known; The Bride of the Wind (Die Hochzeit des Windes, 1913–14) is a celebrated image of Alma Mahler and a hallmark of his expressive approach. He also wrote and staged dramatic works, including the Expressionist play Murderer, Hope of Women (Der Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen), and contributed to theatre design.

In the mid-20th century, Kokoschka’s career was affected by the rise of fascism in the 1930s, which condemned modernist art. He continued to work after World War II and helped contribute to the revival of modernist painting in Austria and beyond. Kokoschka’s paintings are held in major museums around the world, and his influence on postwar European art is widely recognized. He died in Vienna in 1980 at the age of 94.