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Commerce Counselor Ebenstein

Portrait of man in suit against background of yellow and orange.
© 2018 Fondation Oskar Kokoschka / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ProLitteris, Zurich

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  • Portrait of man in suit against background of yellow and orange.

Date:

1908

Artist:

Oskar Kokoschka
English, born Austria, 1886–1980

About this artwork

The sitter for this portrait, Ernest Ebenstein, was a distinguished tailor to the Austrian aristocracy. Ebenstein took an interest in the young Oskar Kokoschka and offered not only to make the artist’s clothes but also to instruct him in anatomy. In exchange for a fine suit, the tailor commissioned this portrait, which was one of the first mature works Kokoschka ever completed. Shortly after the Art Institute acquired the work in the mid-1950s, the artist visited the museum and recalled Ebenstein as a charming and kind man who taught him more about anatomy than anyone else.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Modern Art

Artist

Oskar Kokoschka

Title

Commerce Counselor Ebenstein

Place

England (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1908

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

Signed, l.r.: "O K"

Dimensions

101.8 × 81.1 cm (40 1/16 × 31 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Joseph WInterbotham Collection

Reference Number

1956.364

Copyright

© 2018 Fondation Oskar Kokoschka / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ProLitteris, Zurich

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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