Marie-Louise von Motesiczky, 1906-1996: the painter

On the occasion of the one hundredth anniversary of the artist's birth, this catalogue presents for the first time an overview of Marie-Louise von Motesiczky's paintings in an elegant volume of full colour reproductions accompanied by illuminating commentary. Born in Vienna, she studied with Max Beckmann, who became a significant influence on the young artist. Later, in exile in London, Motesiczky grew close to Oskar Kokoschka and became acquainted with some of the leading intellectuals of the twentieth century, including Elias Canetti, with whom she shared a long and intimate relationship. The paintings and drawings in this book explore the artist's transition from the edgy realism of her early years to the softer and more poetic paintings of her later work. Her portraits, for which she is most famous, include compelling self-examinations as well as a moving series devoted to her mother. Essays on Motesiczky's youth in Vienna, her friendship with Beckmann, and her time in London provide crucial background to a unique and fascinating artist whose wider recognition is long overdue.