“Still Life with a Slaughtered Lamb” is an evocative and intense oil on canvas painting created by Oskar Kokoschka in 1910. This Expressionist masterpiece is part of the still life genre and currently resides in the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, Austria. The artwork showcases Kokoschka’s distinct style characterized by bold brushstrokes and vivid, dramatic contrasts.
The artwork depicts a striking and somewhat unsettling scene dominated by the central figure of a slaughtered lamb. This lamb, rendered in a raw and graphic manner, lies within a composition that includes various other elements, such as a pottery vessel, an apple, and a blooming flower. The background is a medley of dark, shadowy hues, adding to the somber and introspective mood of the painting. Kokoschka’s use of color and dynamic brushwork captures a sense of raw emotion and contemplation, typical of the Expressionist movement. The visual impact of the slaughtered lamb juxtaposed with the vibrant flower and mundane objects such as the jug and fruit invokes a powerful meditation on life, death, and the passage of time.
