Woman in Green Leaning against an Armchair, 1940s

Marie-Louise Motesiczky (1906–1996) grew up in a wealthy Jewish family and received a sound artistic education, resulting in her first exhibition at the Hagenbund in April 1933. After a promising start, however, her rise on the Viennese art scene was abruptly ended by the National Socialist dictatorship. In 1938, only one day after the annexation of Austria, the painter and her mother escaped to England. Here, she forged close ties to the emigrants’ community. She for instance deepened her acquaintance with Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980), who was a friend of the family and had also emigrated to England in October of the same year. Her close contact to Kokoschka influenced Motesiczky’s style; she was especially impressed with the gestic intensity of his works. This portrait of an elegantly dressed lady also betrays Kokoschka’s influence.

LVD, 2024