Closed Now:
Become a Member
Your Cart
Nogent-sur-Marne, Viaduct, 1932
Oskar Kokoschka (Austrian, 1886-1980)
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mrs. Blakemore Wheeler 1960.23
ADOPTED
Recent conservation of this picture was made possible by a generous contribution from the Speed Art Museum’s Board of Governors through the Adopt-an-Artwork Program [2018]
The full restoration of this painting will result in a lovely reveal. Even though the painting is unlined, we’ve been lucky that it’s remained stable over these many years—there are no planar distortions, and it is structurally intact. The surface is unvarnished, as intended by the artist. However, the original paint layer is choked by a layer of gray grime. Once in the laboratory, the surface grime and dirt will be removed. This will brighten the painting significantly, and improve color saturation throughout, pulling the entire design of the composition together, and adding a sense of depth.
A new frame is needed for this painting; the current frame is much too fussy and historically inappropriate for this painting.
