Kokoschka (Great Modern Masters) [Hardcover]

Jose Maria Faerna (Author)

Book Description

One of a series of monographs on great 20th-century artists, this title is concerned with Oskar Kokoschka, a major figure in the Expresionist movement. After studying in Vienna, where he was strongly influenced by Art Nouveau, he painted the first of his Expressionist portraits, characterized by restless draughtsmanship and broken patterns of colour. Seriously wounded in World War I, Kokoschka produced little work until 1924 when he began a series of journeys through Europe to refresh his creative spirit. During this period he embarked on a number of colour experiments, particularly in landscape paintings. Condemned as "degenerate" by the Nazi regime, his paintings in public collections were confiscated, and Kokoschka subsequently moved to London, and then to Switzerland. His late paintings retain the Expressionist qualities of his best mature work, and their increasing abstraction reveals a kinship to Abstract Expressionism. This book presents 74 of Kokoschka's works in an accessible text, fully documenting his artistic achievement.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Spanish

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams / Cameo; 1st edition (September 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810946823
• ISBN-13: 978-0810946828
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 9.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Abstract Expressionism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Colors a bit off, but good overall, July 12, 2009

By 

Eugene Tenenbaum "reluctant reader" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kokoschka (Great Modern Masters) (Hardcover)

As in all titles in the Great Modern Masters series published by Abrams: Colors are not vibrant, often with a brownish tint or/and too dark, and their accuracy is just O.K. There are 64 pages of a good size 9.5x12 inches (24x30.5 cm). It begins with an introduction with 5-6 small b&w pictures on 2 pages, which is followed by a biography with 5-6 small b&w pictures on 2 next pages. The rest is dedicated to good size over 60 full color plates divided into chapters dedicated to artist's carrier periods, style directions, or themes, each described by 12-16 lines of text. The series is inferior to the same size paperback series published by Taschen in 1990s, but superior to Taschen's series of smaller sizes published latter. Unfortunately, the Taschen series does not cover Bacon, Botero, Brancusi, Braque, Calder, de Chirico, Johns, Kokoschka, Leger, Man Ray, Malevich, Modigliani, and Rouault this series does.