Oskar Kokoschka
English, born Austria, 1886–1980
Commerce Counselor Ebenstein
INV-2893
Oskar Kokoschka
English, born Austria, 1886–19801908
Commerce Counselor Ebenstein
Oskar Kokoschka English, born Austria, 1886–1980 →oil on canvaspainting
Date
1908
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
101.8 × 81.1 cm (40 1/16 × 31 15/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of the Joseph WInterbotham Collection
The sitter for this portrait, Ernest Ebenstein, was a distinguished tailor to the Austrian aristocracy. Ebenstein took an interest in the young Oskar Kokoschka and offered not only to make the artist’s clothes but also to instruct him in anatomy. In exchange for a fine suit, the tailor commissioned this portrait, which was one of the first mature works Kokoschka ever completed. Shortly after the Art Institute acquired the work in the mid-1950s, the artist visited the museum and recalled Ebenstein as a charming and kind man who taught him more about anatomy than anyone else.
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