Color lithograph on paper
Signed in pencil in the lower margin: O Kokoschka
Numbered: 43/70
Sheet dimensions: 69.3 × 53.5 cm
Signature and numbering handwritten in pencil
On the reverse of the stamp: Printed in Switzerland
WVZ Wingler/Welz 208
Provenance: The Estate of Alexander Dobkin, New York.
The symbolic and poetic composition "Zwei Mädchen mit Taube" (Two girls with a pigeon) by Oskar Kokoschka portrays childlike intimacy, gentleness and innocence in the artist's typically expressive, coloristic style. The composition is distinguished by the spontaneous movement of the line and the intense light of the colors, which meld the figures with the space. The pigeon - a universal symbol of peace - can here also be an allegory of the fragile world of childhood or hope. The work is from a limited edition of 70 prints, hand-signed by the artist.
Oskar Kokoschka was one of the leading exponents of Austrian Expressionism, a painter, writer and playwright. Born in Pöchlarn, he studied in Vienna, where he quickly gained recognition as a creator of innovative psychological portraits. His work developed in opposition to the aesthetics of Art Nouveau - it was characterized by intense expression, emotionality and existential anxiety. After the Nazi takeover, he was considered a "degenerate" artist and forced to emigrate. After the war, he settled in Switzerland. His art remains an important testimony to 20th-century spirituality and anxiety.
Kokoschka was also an active citizen - he opposed totalitarianism, violence and dehumanization, which he often expressed in his works.
