Alma Mahler
Kokoschka had a passionate, often stormy affair with Alma Mahler. It began in 1912, five years after the death of her four-year-old daughter Maria Mahler and two years before her affair with Walter Gropius, later a celebrated architect in Berlin. But after two years together, Alma rejected him, explaining that she was afraid of being too overcome with passion. She married Walter Gropius in 1915 and lived with him until their divorce in 1920. Kokoschka continued to love Alma Mahler his entire life, and one of his most acclaimed works, "The Bride of the Wind" ("The Tempest"; 1913), is expressive of their relationship. The poet Georg Trakl visited the studio while Kokoschka was painting this masterpiece. Kokoschka's poem "Allos Makar" was inspired by this relationship.