Oskar Kokoschka
Austrian, 1886–1980
Dream Vision
INV-1861
Oskar Kokoschka
Austrian, 1886–19801908/09
Dream Vision
Oskar Kokoschka Austrian, 1886–1980 →prints and drawinggraphite
Date
1908/09
Medium
Pen and black ink, with watercolor and red gouache, over graphite, on tan wove paper
Dimensions
22.8 × 17.9 cm (9 × 7 1/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Memorial Collection
Kokoschka worked in the style of the Viennese Art Noveau, or Jugendstil (Youth Style), in which artists sought to disassociate with so-called high art and focus on decorative arts, printmaking, and the book arts. Kokoschka illustrated several books: shown here is a scene from Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, the story of a shipwrecked sailor stranded on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. Although the book was intended for adults, Kokoschka’s illustration resembles one from a children’s book, with its thick black lines and bold colors. The crowded, shallow space in the composition reflects the anxiety Crusoe feels, as he is trapped in the strange, dreamlike world of the island.
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