Head of a Man, 1940s

Marie-Louise Motesiczky (1906–1996) grew up in a wealthy Jewish family. She established ties to the great artists of her time, such as Max Beckmann (1884–1950) and Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980), at an early age. She joined Beckmann’s master class in Frankfurt in 1927 and became a close personal friend of Kokoschka’s; in the context of these formative influences, the painter developed her own, unique artistic style early on. It is especially her impressive portraits, in which Motesiczky focused on the inner life and the true character of her sitters, that stand out from her oeuvre. This sketchily executed bust portrait of a young man staring at the observers with a fixed gaze is yet another example of her artistic skills.

LVD, 2024