Oskar Kokoschka
1950
Oil paint and mixed media on canvas
249.5 x 256.3 cm
Painted in the aftermath of the Second World War and at the beginning of the Cold War, this large triptych (a work in three parts) is an expression of Oskar Kokoschka’s hopes and fears for the fate of humanity. He reinterpreted episodes from classical mythology and the Bible to explore three main themes: salvation (left); apocalypse (centre); and the dangers of humanity’s quest for power (right).
The ancient Greek goddess Persephone appears in the centre of the composition. Released every year from the darkness of the underworld, she returns to earth bringing about spring and the renewal of life. On the left, her mother, Demeter, goddess of the harvest, welcomes her. On the right, Hades, god of the underworld, brandishes the head of the monstrous Medusa to ward off enemies. Kokoschka gave Hades his own features, implicating himself in the scene.
Kokoschka believed that humanity’s best hope of salvation was to return to what he considered female and maternal values of compassion and the protection of new life.