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ONLINECOLLECTION

Projection Rifle in Covered Position, 1916

Leopold Museum Vienna,
© Fondation Oskar Kokoschka/Bildrecht,
Vienna 2022
Black chalk, colored chalk on paper
32.2×48.2 cm

Artists

  • Oskar Kokoschka

    (Pöchlarn 1886–1980 Montreux)

Unfortunately not on display at the moment
Immediately after his separation from Alma Mahler (1879–1964) in July 1915, Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) joined up for duty with the Austro-Hungarian army, which had been at war for a year. He was sent directly to the Galician front, where he sustained life-threatening injuries already in late August 1915. In July 1916 he reported for duty once more, and was deployed as a liaison officer on the Isonzo front, where he worked as a war painter and created this watercolor, among many other works. In late July 1916 Kokoschka survived an explosion unscathed, but in late August suffered a traumatic “shell shock” after being buried in another explosion, and was sent for treatment to a military hospital in Vienna.

Object data

Artist/author
  • Oskar Kokoschka
Title
Projection Rifle in Covered Position
Date
1916
Art movement
Expressionism
Category
Graphic work
Material​/technique
Black chalk, colored chalk on paper
Dimensions
32.2×48.2 cm
Signature
Signed and designated lower left: OK Projektionsgewehr
Credit line
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 4674
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: 884
Keywords

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

Familie Zernatto, Klagenfurt (o.D.);
Kärntner Antiquariat / Buchhandlung Magnet, Völkermarkt (1992);
Galerie Würthle, Wien (bis 1993);
Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Wien (1993-1994); (1)
Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung, Wien (seit 1994).

  1. Alfred Weidinger / Alice Strobl, Oskar Kokoschka. Die Zeichnungen und Aquarelle. 1897-1916, Salzburg 2008, S. 536, Nr. 884

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