Knight Errant by Oskar Kokoschka - Report Example

Lecturer: A discussion of Knight Errant by Oskar Kokoschka This paper is a discussion of work by an artist. This is a discussion of the painting Knight Errant by Oskar Kokoschka. Oskar Kokoschka is among the renowned artists of the period between 1850 and 1950 that is the first half of the 20th century (Wiesmann, 1975, pg.75). He gained fame from the dynamic expressionist portraits he created. He was born in Porchlarn Austria 1886. He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Vienna between 1904 and 1909. After World War I, he used to travel around Europe creating landscape paintings. Due to his dynamic artwork, the Nazis deemed him as degenerate and he fled Austria for Prague. He lived in many countries before settling in Switzerland. He passed away in 1980. In 1915, Oscar Kokoschka created self-portrait known as Knight Errant. The painting measures 89.5 cm by 180cm (Alsdorf et al, 2001, pg.179). The painting consists of a central figure who appears to be Kokoschka. The figure is dressed in the protective covering of a feudal knight. The figure’s position is in such a way that it appears lost in stormy scenery. There are two other figures close to the central figure, a mysterious woman, and a winged birdman. Above the central figure is a gloomy sky bearing the letters “E S”. The interpretation of this painting is that the central figure dressed in the protective covering of a feudal knight is Kokoschka. The figure lays errant, lost in a stormy landscape implying that Kokoschka is depicting himself facing a disturbing situation. He is dressed in a protective covering of the feudal knights, this is probably a prediction of his involvement in world war I where he got seriously injured later in 1915.The mysterious woman is probably Alma Mahler, the woman he loved. The winged birdman is a representation of the angel of death; he was so close to death after the injury he got during the war. The gloomy sky is representation of the discomfort and sadness facing him. The letters “E S” maybe a reference to Jesus Christ words during his crucifixion, “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthanni” (My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?), implying that Kokoschka in this situation, he was experiencing agony and suffering just like Jesus during his crucifixion. Kokoschka completed creation of this painting in 1915. During this period, Kokoschka relationship with Alma Mahler was crumbling (Solomon, 2003, pg.102). Mahler was a widow and her dead husband was a very renowned composer. After the death of her husband, Mahler was involved in two love affairs concurrently. Kokoschka was one of the two men in love with Mahler at this time. It also happened that during this time, Mahler turn out to be pregnant. However, she aborted the pregnancy. During that period in Vienna Austria, abortion was a very serious issue and women who happened to abort, faced a backlash from the society. In this case, of the widow of a famous composer aborting, the issue was even more serious and saddened many people including Kokoschka who was in love with her. This case of Mahler’s abortion coupled with the crumbling relationship between her and Kokoschka therefore brought severe emotional discomfort to Kokoschka. The painting Knight Errant is therefore an expression of the emotional discomfort Kokoschka was undergoing. The painting Knight Errant is an imagination of the suffering soldiers underwent during wars like World War I. It may also be a prediction brought by fear, of the physical and emotional pain Kokoschka might undergo if he joined the army, something that came to happen (Franco, 1984, pg.47). In 1915 when he joined the army during World War I, Kokoschka sustained a head injury and a dagger wound in one of his lungs. After this injury, he left the army and went back to Vienna where he stayed for some time while undergoing treatment. While at a place called Isonzo Front, his health status became even worse. He was so close to death. He went to Stockholm, Sweden where a brain specialist helped him. He later went to Dresden in an effort to recover his worsened health. The painting Knight Errant may therefore be a prediction of the physical and emotional suffering he underwent during this period. In the painting, Kokoschka is dressed in the protective covering of a feudal knight; therefore, this is a depiction of him as a soldier. The stormy scenery in the painting is a depiction of the battleground. The letters “E S” in the painting are seen as a reference to Jesus Christ words during his crucifixion, “Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthanni” (My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?). In this case, Kokoschka is comparing his suffering to that of Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion. Just like Jesus, Kokoschka sustained a dagger wound on one of his lungs. This painting might also be Kokoschka’s expression of the agony and suffering soldiers underwent as they participated in the war. The painting Knight Errant is an important painting; it is a depiction of issues that were affecting the society at that period. Kokoschka used his own image to portray emotional and physical suffering. The issue of crumbling relationships has been present in almost every society and Vienna of 20th century was not different. Using his crumbling relationship with Mahler, Kokoschka is able to express the suffering that disagreements can bring. Also in this painting, Kokoschka is able to handle the issue of abortion. In Vienna, 1915, abortion was a very hot topic. The society viewed abortion as disgusting and discouraged it. Mahler’s abortion affected Kokoschka who was Mahler’s lover and he uses this painting to express the sadness brought to him by Mahler for this filthy act. He therefore used the painting to express the sadness brought to the society by women who abort their unborn babies. In the painting, Kokoschka portrays himself as a soldier in agony maybe due to the injury he sustained in World War I. He uses this painting to handle the issue of war. He portrays the suffering that soldiers underwent when they sustained injuries during the war to discourage people from solving their problems by wars (Gale, 1991,pg.327). The issue of crumbling relationships is very relevant in social circles worldwide. Kokoschka used the painting Knight Errant to express the suffering brought by his crumbling relationship with Mahler. This way, modern societies can use this piece of art to learn the emotional suffering brought by lack of harmony in a relationship. The issue of abortion has been relevant for a long time now in most societies. Currently, there are ongoing debates in some countries regarding the issue of abortion. Some want abortion legalized while others believe it is illegal and anyone that aborts their unborn baby is liable to prosecution according to the law. Kokoschka used this painting to provide an insight to this issue. Modern societies can use the painting to understand that abortion has been discouraged even by the societies of the 20th century. In this painting, Kokoschka employs a host of formal artistic means to convey his ideas. The brushwork in this painting appears agitated. Using agitated brushwork, Kokoschka is able to pass the idea that he was experiencing emotional suffering from his relationship with Mahler. In his composition, the Kokoschka creates the painting in night scenery. Objects that have a strange, inner radiance light the night. The metallic outfit, the miserable woman and the wave-covered sea appear in thrilling white strokes, intense, profuse, rough, and robust. Kokoschka uses the rigid arrangement of these paces together with the strained, pathetic gesture of the soldier to convey the idea that idea of fear and discomfort. He uses dark colors to create the night scene, which further instills the idea of fear, and discomfort. At the center of the painting, a system of angular interconnecting lines clatters in a stormy action. This briskly painted area appears different from the prevailing tone of fear and desperation in a bid to show there is hope. By using color differently, the artist is able to present messages of both hope and despair. The painting Knight Errant helped the development of Kokoschka’s artistry as a painter. In his initial paintings, Kokoschka style was more of a drafter and less of a painter. This painting however turned out to be different since he is freer with the painting, turning out to be more of a painter and less of a drafter. The painting also improves the image of Kokoschka as an expressionist artist. In most of his previous works, he never used imagination but instead created paintings from reality. In this painting, he uses pure imagination to portray the suffering brought by his crumbling relationship. Through this portrayal, he is able to express his suffering. Knight Errant by Kokoschka is a modern painting. The painting has real value and is a representation of real matters. Modern art belief is that art matters and possesses real value. This is a characteristic of this particular painting by Kokoschka. This painting uses amplification and alteration of color to deliver a deep emotional message. He uses expressionism in this painting; expressionism is a style that was widely used by modern artists. Work Cited Wiesmann, Sigrid. Vienna, Present and Past: Music and Opera, Painting and Sculpture, Literature and Theatre. Wien: Vienna Tourist Board, 1975. Print. Alsdorf, Bridget, Dore Ashton, and Nancy Spector. Guggenheim Museum Collection: a to Z: [published on the Occasion of the Exhibition "the Global Guggenheim: Selections from the Extended Collection", Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, February 9-April 22, 2001]. New York: Guggenheim Museum Publications [u.a., 2001. Print. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. From Picasso to Pollock: Modern Art from the Guggenheim Museum : [exhibition] Guggenheim Museum. New York: S.R. Guggenheim Foundation, 2003. Print. Gale Research .Modern Arts Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Print. Franco Maria Ricci Fmr: The Magazine of Franco Maria Ricci. Italy: Franco Maria Ricci International, 1984. Print. Read More