Kokoschka (Paperback)

Ruediger Goerner

ISBN 10: 1914979141 / ISBN 13: 9781914979149

Published by Haus Publishing, London, 2024

About this Item

Paperback. The Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka (18861980) achieved global fame with his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes. In this first English-language biography, Ruediger Goerner depicts the artist in all his fascinating and contradictory complexity. He traces Kokoschka's path from bete noire of the bourgeoisie and "hunger artist" who had to flee the Nazis to a wealthy and cosmopolitan political and critical artist who played a significant role in shaping the European art scene of the twentieth century and whose relevance is undiminished to this day. In Kokoschka: A Life in Art, Goerner emphasizes the artist's versatility. Kokoschka, although best known for his expressionistic portraits and landscapes, was more than a mere visual artist: his achievements as a playwright, essayist, and poet bear witness to a remarkable literary talent. Music, too, played a central role in his work, and a passion for teaching led him to establish in 1953 the School of Seeing, an unconventional art school intended to revive humanist ideals in the horrific aftermath of war. This biography shows brilliantly how all the pieces of Kokoschka's disparate interests and achievements cohered in the richly creative life of a singular artist. In this detailed biography, Rudiger Goerner masterfully depicts Kokoschka's multifaceted life and long career. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781914979149

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Kokoschka (Paperback)
• Publisher: Haus Publishing, London
• Publication Date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1914979141
• ISBN 13: 9781914979149
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) achieved global fame with his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes. In this first English-language biography, Rüdiger Görner depicts the artist in all his fascinating and contradictory complexity. He traces Kokoschka’s path from bête noire of the bourgeoisie and “hunger artist” who had to flee the Nazis to a wealthy and cosmopolitan political and critical artist who played a significant role in shaping the European art scene of the twentieth century and whose relevance is undiminished to this day. 

In Kokoschka: A Life in Art, Görner emphasizes the artist’s versatility. Kokoschka, although best known for his expressionistic portraits and landscapes, was more than a mere visual artist: his achievements as a playwright, essayist, and poet bear witness to a remarkable literary talent. Music, too, played a central role in his work, and a passion for teaching led him to establish in 1953 the School of Seeing, an unconventional art school intended to revive humanist ideals in the horrific aftermath of war.  This biography shows brilliantly how all the pieces of Kokoschka’s disparate interests and achievements cohered in the richly creative life of a singular artist.

About the Authors

Rüdiger Görner was professor of German and comparative literature at Queen Mary, University of London. The founding director of the Centre for Anglo-German Cultural Relations, his books include biographies of Rainer Maria Rilke, Georg Trakl, and Oskar Kokoschka. He has been the recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Debbie Marmor is a translator based in London.

Herb Danner is a translator based in London.