Plate from The Dreaming Youths Possibly 1907 - 1917

This is a plate from Oskar Kokoschka’s portfolio, The Dreaming Youths, a series of lithographs. Kokoschka worked closely with a print shop to execute this portfolio. Lithography allows the artist to draw directly onto a stone or metal plate, and the image is then transferred using oil-based inks. What sets Kokoschka’s work apart is how he embraced the flatness inherent in the medium, and amplified it, using bold outlines and simplified forms. The way Kokoschka applied the lithographic process is critical to the final artwork. It is central to the plate’s visual impact, with its strong lines and vibrant colors. This plate, like others from the series, carries social significance too. The portfolio’s themes explore youthful desires, anxieties, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The Dreaming Youths was initially considered too bold and sexually suggestive. The works capture a sense of turmoil and the questioning of societal norms and expectations.