Mixed media on paper;
Signed and dated lower right, titled lower left;
Passepartout cutout unopened: 14,3 x 16 in inch Profiled gold frame;
Oskar Laske, originally trained as an architect, turned to painting via Anton Hlavacek, but nevertheless defined himself as an autodidact. Despite his actual training as an architect, he turned completely to painting over time to become one of the most significant representatives of the Viennese art scene of the first half of the 20th century. The artist was a member of the Hagenbund, the Secession as well as the Künstlerhaus.
His city view of Augsburg is animated by people, the movement of the figures forming a dynamic that seems typical of his paintings. The coarse brushstroke as well as the renunciation of unimportant details favour this lively impression of the city. This work shows an oppressed, almost mystical mood of Oskar Laske. In contrast to the almost expressionistic depiction of the people, the precise indication of the vanishing point as well as the accuracy of the depiction of the buildings stand out, reflecting his architectural skill.
