MARIE-LOUISE VON MOTESICZKY: (IN)VISIBLE WOMEN

MARIE-LOUISE VON MOTESICZKY: (IN)VISIBLE WOMEN
7th March– 15th December 2024
Burgh House
New End Square
London
NW3 1LT

In (in)Visible Women, Marie-Louise von Motesiczky‘s vibrant expressionist paintings take center stage, offering a poignant exploration of the rich everyday lives of women. The women in Motesiczky’s works depict women engaged in a variety of cosmopolitan activities, and in doing so reveal the essence of their lives in a rapidly changing world.

Born in Austria in 1906, Motesiczky’s works provide a profound presence to women as friends, lovers, carers, and individuals navigating through life’s complexities. Her paintings, characterised by their wit, poignancy, and occasional unsettling quality, range from literal depictions of everyday scenes to fantastical explorations of inner emotions. Having fled the Nazis’ rise to power, she found sanctuary in Britain in 1939 and made Hampstead her permanent home in 1948.

Through Motesiczky’s energetic brushstrokes, her works made significant contributions to the visibility of women’s lives in ways that are rare within the art historical record and public consciousness. From dressmakers to florists and dog groomers, the women in Motesiczky’s works break further from artistic tradition in depicting women engaging in activities such as attending lectures, visiting restaurants and the theatre. These women rare examples of women’s experiences through different life stages while shining a light on the intimacy and camaraderie of women’s relationships with each other.

Marie-Louise von Motesiczky was born in Austria in 1906 into a wealthy Jewish family. As a young woman she studied art in The Hague, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Paris, and travelled widely. During this time the artist Max Beckmann became a life-long friend and mentor.

Following the Nazi invasion in 1938 Motesiczky and her mother, Henriette, fled Austria for the Netherlands. In 1939 they moved to England, living in Amersham before finally settling in Hampstead in 1948. Motesiczky painted up until her death in 1996, she exhibited widely, but, except for commissions, rarely sold her work. Her paintings can now be found in public and private collections across the world.

MARIE-LOUISE VON MOTESICZKY: (IN)VISIBLE WOMEN opens on the 7th of March until the 15th of December 2024 at Burgh House

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