Oskar Kokoschka

Acquired by the grandfather of the present owner

Vienna, Kunstforum Länderbank, Oskar Kokoschka, 1991, no. 62, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Hans Maria Winkler, Oskar Kokoschka; Das Werk des Malers, Salzburg, 1958, no. 280, illustrated p. 323
Klaus Albrecht Schröder & Johann Winkler (ed.), Oskar Kokoschka, Munich, 1991 , no. 62, illustrated in colour

The canvas is not lined. There is an uneven layer of varnish and UV examination reveals a few small spots of retouching in places. There is a tiny 1cm long repaired tear to the centre of the composition, and a further tiny pinprick, both of which are only visible from the verso. The stretcher is very slightly warped at the upper right corner. Otherwise, this work is in overall very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1923 Oskar Kokoschka took leave from the academy in Dresden and travelled through Europe, to North Africa and the Near East in the following decade. In the early 1930s he returned to Vienna, where he painted pictures of the area around his home on the edge of the city. The present work was probably painted in the spring of 1934, shortly after the start of the Austrian civil war. With his movements restricted by the conflict, Kokoschka turns his focus to a more domestic subject matter, a flower still life.

The artist approaches Stillleben mit Amaryllis with the same painterly fervour as his famous city views, employing his celebrated elevated viewpoint which characterises so many of his landscapes. The broadly applied brushstrokes sweep across the surface, enlivening the immaterial forces active behind the external appearance of the innate subject, and transforming it into a living, breathing creature. Reinforced by dramatic colour contrasts, the innocuous subject becomes a metaphor for change, transience and decay.