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The Eavesdropper. Illustration for the series of lithographs The Great Wall of China, 1913

Leopold Museum Vienna,
© Fondation Oskar Kokoschka/Bildrecht,
Vienna 2022
Lithograph on paper
51.6×38.9 cm

Artists

  • Oskar Kokoschka

    (Pöchlarn 1886–1980 Montreux)

Unfortunately not on display at the moment
In 1913, Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) created the illustrations for the Austrian writer Karl Kraus’s (1874–1936) essay The Great Wall of China, which was published in 1909 in the magazine Die Fackel. Rather than making direct references to Kraus’s narration, the lithographs At the Spinning Wheel, The Eavesdropper and The Intruders show distinct stylistic parallels to Kokoschka’s own story [The Bound Columbus] as well as to his works The Couple in Candlelight, At the Crossroads and Woman Bent over Phantom. The radical works on paper, abounding in brutal scenes, provided Kokoschka with an outlet for processing Alma Mahler’s (1879–1964) abortion of their child.

AS, 2021

Object data

Artist/author
  • Oskar Kokoschka
Title
The Eavesdropper. Illustration for the series of lithographs The Great Wall of China
Date
1913
Art movement
Expressionism
Category
Graphic work
Material​/technique
Lithograph on paper
Dimensions
51.6×38.9 cm
Signature
Monogrammed on the plate lower left: OK; name added by hand: OKokoschka
Credit line
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 2444
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).
  • Wien 1900. Sammlung Leopold, hrsg. von Diethard Leopold/Peter Weinhäupl, Wien u.a. 2009.
  • 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).
  • Hans Maria Wingler/Friedrich Welz: Oskar Kokoschka. Das druckgraphische Werk, Salzburg 1975.
Catalogue raisonne
  • Weidinger/Strobl 2008: 565
Keywords
man/boywoman/girlviolenceKarl Krausspying on someonelovers/flirting

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

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Search in collection

man/boywoman/girlviolenceKarl Krausspying on someonelovers/flirting