| Number | AMHAM: OBJECT.1368 |
|---|---|
| Date | (1945) |
| About this object | Outside of her network of noteworthy and prominent émigré friends, Marie-Louise also created portraits of a wide range of people she met in Amersham. She also painted her mother and aunt. Some are anonymous, others named. The sitter shown in this portrait is Dorothy also known as ‘Dary’ who was probably a friend of Mary Duras (ref Ines Schlenker, Catalogue Raisonné p177) and worked as a household maid for the Motesiczky family. This half-length depiction of Dorothy, completed towards the end of the war, was finished to mixed reviews; Oscar Kokoschka offered a harsh criticism of the painting whilst Elias Canetti expressed admiration. The public’s first view of this piece was in Amsterdam in 1952 - the aftermath of the war delaying its exhibition. Dorothy has striking, if somewhat uneven features, her protruding blue eyes, prominent nose and rounded face look partially caricatured. Marie-Louise reveals in this painting the pervasive influence of Kokoschka and the Viennese Expressionist movement on her painting. Presented by the Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Charitable Trust in 2018. ©️Tate. (Schlenker ref: 74) |
| Made By | Marie-Louise von Motesiczky |
| Made In | Chestnut Lane, Amersham |
| Physical Description | Oil painting on canvas, glazed, in modern wooden frame |
| Inscription | Motesiczky (on recto) Marked ’74, Dorothy’ (on verso) |