Oskar Kokoschka
1950
Oil paint and mixed media on canvas
260.3 x 368 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).
Unleashing the raging storm of destruction described in the Bible, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse charge across the scene from the right-hand side. Their target is the array of figures arranged on the hillside on the left who represent the development of humanity. At the foot of the slope are female figures from an idyllic mythological past. Biblical episodes including Cain slaying Abel, populate the hillside, which culminates with the crucifixion.
Kokoschka’s vision of humanity on the verge of an apocalypse echoed the fears of his time as the world faced the growing threat of nuclear war from the early 1950s onwards.