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Lying Couple. Study for the painting The Bride of the Wind, 1913

Leopold Museum Vienna,
© Fondation Oskar Kokoschka/Bildrecht,
Vienna 2022
Leopold Museum Vienna,
© Fondation Oskar Kokoschka/Bildrecht,
Vienna 2022
Black chalk on paper, verso: Black chalk on paper
31.3×45 cm

Artists

  • Oskar Kokoschka

    (Pöchlarn 1886–1980 Montreux)

Unfortunately not on display at the moment
The work on paper Lying Couple by Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) was created in 1913 and represents a preliminary study for one of the artist’s best-known works: The Bride of the Wind. Kokoschka shows himself in a tight embrace with his lover Alma Mahler (1879–1964), drifting across the stormy seas on the ship of life. Unlike in the oil painting created the same year, Kokoschka rendered the faces of the naked couple, covered only by a blanket, turned slightly away from one another. In this composition, the bodies appear static and show little of the dynamics that would characterize the final work.

AS, 2021

Object data

Artist/author
  • Oskar Kokoschka
Title
Lying Couple. Study for the painting The Bride of the Wind
Alternative title
Verso: Sketch of a head
Date
1913
Art movement
Expressionism
Category
Graphic work
Material​/technique
Black chalk on paper, verso: Black chalk on paper
Dimensions
31.3×45 cm
Signature
Signed lower right: O K
Credit line
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 2221
Inventory access
Contributed to the Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung in 1994
Selection of Reference works
  • Wien 1900. Aufbruch in die Moderne, hrsg. von Hans-Peter Wipplinger, Wien 2019 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, ab 15.03.2019).
  • Oskar Kokoschka. Expressionist, Migrant, Europäer, hrsg. von Cathérine Hug/Heike Eipeldauer, Heidelberg 2018 (Ausst.-Kat. Kunsthaus Zürich, 14.12.2018–10.03.2019; Leopold Museum, Wien, 06.04.2019–08.07.2019).
  • Kokoschka. Das Ich im Brennpunkt, hrsg. von Tobias G. Natter/Franz Smola, Wien 2013 (Ausst. Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 04.10.2013–27.01.2014).
  • Alfred Weidinger/Alice Strobl: Oskar Kokoschka. Die Zeichnungen und Aquarelle 1897–1916, Salzburg 2008.
  • Die nackte Wahrheit. Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka und andere Skandale, hrsg. von Tobias G. Natter/Max Hollein, München 2005 (Ausst.-Kat. Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, 28.01.2005-24.01.2005; Leopold Museum, Wien, 31.05.2005-22.08.2005).
Catalogue raisonne
  • Weidinger/Strobl 2008: 483
Keywords
man/boywoman/girlcouple of loversAlma Mahlerlying figurearm/hand held in front of bodyheadcouple of lovers

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

Oskar Kokoschka, Wien / Prag (bis 1938);
Berta Theresia Patočková , Prag (1938-1960);
Familie Kokoschka, Wien (1960-1981);
Auktion: 27.11.1981, Karl & Faber München, 158. Auktion, Los 1310 (Abb. Tafel 106);
Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Wien (1981-1994); (1)
Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung (seit 1994).

  1. Sonja Niederacher, Oskar Kokoschka, Dossier vom 30.01.2020; Alfred Weidinger / Alice Strobl, Oskar Kokoschka. Die Zeichnungen und Aquarelle. 1897-1916, Salzburg 2008, S. 336, Nr. 482

For provenance related information, please contact us.

Search in collection

man/boywoman/girlcouple of loversAlma Mahlerlying figurearm/hand held in front of bodyheadcouple of lovers