Evening star., 1949-01-09

the Christmas season rush, that II
will close January II.
1t is disquieting show, rejecting
turbulent period, and Is not CAL
culated to I'LL visitors with elation
or serenity or any other Of the gent
ler emotions. But when one con-
siders that the Phillips and other
outstanding galleries and museums
which collaborated in organizing it.
spent many months OF work and
thought, and incurred heavy sx-
penses. in order to place before the
public of their respective cities. this
large comprehensive display repre-
senting the career of painter
authoritatively considered Of inter-
national Importance. one will surely
want to see it, even though one may
leave it, still unconvinced that
Kokoschka is great painter
But there is no doubt that he has
been an energetic and industrious
one. Some of his paintings look as
if they had been hurled onto these
large canvases in furious slashing
strokes The show can be studied
as a chronological development, al
though it Is not hung In that order.
The earliest works are the portraits
of the years 1907-12, when Koko-
schka was in his early 20s. Badly
drawn as the figures and hands OF
some OF them seem, the heads are
f1ercely alive, and remarkably in
d;x,;5,,oI 7,ba ~, odi+ +jva oepflepaam
Of Frau Franzos, the sensitive intel
lectuality of Dr. Tietze, the insanity
of Janikowsky, the impending doom
in the faces of Count Verona and
the Duchess Of Rohan-M n-Montesquieu,
and many others are haunting char
acterizationS
Several monumental works were
painted 1924, a period when he
was achieving greater mastery OF
his medium and simultaneously had
a stormy alliance with Viennese
grande dame. The Tempest" is
one of these, portraying himself and
the lady, in a swirling abstract set
ting. 1t has the place of honor in
the Phillips largest gallery on the
second floor.
Kokoschka volunteered in World
War I, was gravely wounded and,
seeking recovery, settled in Dresden,
where he became deeply interested
in landscape painting, without en-
tirely abandoning figure compost
tions. Seven years Of extensive
travel 1924-3l, increased his pre-
occupation with the personality OF
places rather than of persons. To
this period belong interpretations OF
Lake Geneva, Paris, Lyon. Mar
seilles. London, Scotland. Algeria,
Italy. Lac D'Annecy' is beautiful
work, lovely in the rendition OF light
and air. But many of these paint
ingS of great cities seem overpoWer-
ing, strident in color. He certainly
saw London as "a mans town with
power in the air" The two Thames
views are among the best paintings
in the show.
In Vienna for several unproduc-
tive years, he lived in Prague from
1884 to '38. Representative Of his
residence there is the large irrides-
cent view of Prague. and the curious
portrait of T. G. Masaryk, dWarted
by the heavy figure of Comenlus.
Kokoschka spent the war years
in England, a period represented by
only two works in this show. In
1947 he moved to Switzerland and
to all appearances, regained the
vigor of earlier years in his noun
tain landscapes.
Ben-Zion to Speak
Ben-Zion, Ukrainian-born Amer
ican painter, will speak at the
Washington Workshop, 2o2o Mas
sachusetts avenue NV, next Fri
day at $50 pm. on THE Artist
and the Spectator A portfolio OF
his water colors will be on display,
and his talk will be followed by an
informal discussion. Reservations
for the lecture can be made by
phoning Adams 23O9 or Adams 1925.