Adolf Loos. Page from the Portfolio Menschenköpfe [Human Heads], 1916

Leopold Museum,
Vienna

Adolf Loos. Page from the Portfolio Menschenköpfe [Human Heads]
1916

Lithograph on paper

42×30.3 cm

Oskar Kokoschka
(Pöchlarn 1886–1980 Montreux)
Verlag der Sturm / Berlin

Unfortunately not on display at the moment

In the younger artist Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980), the architect Adolf Loos (1870–1933) found a potential comrade in arms for the promotion of a new aesthetic awareness beyond the all-encompassing decorative aesthetics that he had decried in Ornament and Crime (1908). Loos became Kokoschka’s most important mentor and introduced him to his network of intellectuals, from whom Kokoschka received new commissions. Loos even provided a kind of guarantee – if the client did not like the portrait, which happened frequently, Loos purchased the picture, thus quickly accumulating a remarkable collection. Kokoschka not only painted his mentor, but also created this graphic portrait of him: In 1916, Herwarth Walden’s (1878−1941) publishing company Der Sturm issued the portfolio Menschenköpfe [Human Heads], containing 15 etchings based on drawings by Oskar Kokoschka, some of which had also been reproduced in Walden’s magazine of the same name. The portraits show the protagonists of Modernism as well as loyal companions of the artist.

AS, 2023

Object data

Artist/author

Oskar KokoschkaGND
Verlag der Sturm / Berlin

Title

Adolf Loos. Page from the Portfolio Menschenköpfe [Human Heads]

Date

1916

Art movement

Expressionism

Category

Graphic work

Material/technique

Lithograph on paper

Dimensions

42×30.3 cm

Credit line

Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 6578 04

Inventory access

Accession 2021

Selection of Reference works

Max Oppenheimer. Expressionist der ersten Stunde, hrsg. von Hans-Peter Wipplinger, Wien 2023 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 06.10.2023 –25.02.2024).
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