Lot 120

Oskar Kokoschka (1886 - 1980) Prague, View of Petřín from the Studio

An Austrian with Czech roots, Oskar Kokoschka is one of the most important European painters of the 20th century. His paintings can be found in many important museum collections around the world. This unique Prague panorama of verified provenance is the most important Kokoschka that has ever been offered on the Czech auction market. The painting depicts the view from Kokoschka's studio on the top floor of the northern wing of the Bellevue building at Smetanovo Nábřeží 18, which he started to rent in the summer of 1934. The artist himself described the painting in detail in an interview he gave immediately after completing the painting in April 1937 to art historian Edith Hoffmann as "an unusual section". It is more than evident that the artist considered this view of Prague due to its broad perspective and the expressiveness of its color, which he also describes. One can also observe the changing brushwork, from smooth painting and calmer traces of the brush on the right side, to the more expressive painting with corresponding sharp, bright color on the left side. During his four-year stay in Prague, Kokoschka captured its beauty in sixteen paintings from various perspectives, which the important Prague art dealer Hugo Feigl helped him find. Feigl held a Kokoschka exhibition at his gallery in 1933. His stamp is located on the stretcher frame of the painting of Prague, which is the second-largest of the sixteen canvases, thus proving that this painting also went through Feigl's sales gallery. The painting was recently presented at the Oskar Kokoschka and the Prague Cultural Scene exhibitions held in Regensburg and Prague. Published in: Oskar Kokoschka a Pražská Kulturní Scéna, Prague National Gallery, 2015, pp. 36, 67 and 46, cat. no. 10. Consulted with PhDr. Anna Janištinová. Provenance: Since 1937 – private collection in Prague; since the 1990s – major collection in Prague. Oil on canvas, signed on bottom left "OK".