Cologne Cathedral

Oskar Kokoschka

1956

Oil on canvas

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In his paintings, Oskar Kokoschka wished to make visible the invisible; he wanted to capture and describe the essence of his subject matter. In <I>Cologne Cathedral</I>, Kokoschka effectively portrays the grandeur of this giant Gothic cathedral while also showing the morning light streaming through the stained glass windows and dancing along the nave. He painted this interior scene from September 28 to October 17, 1956, every morning from 9 a.m. to noon, with the exception of Sundays when Mass was held. Each morning, workers connected to the Cathedral's workshop suspended a wooden balcony from the triforium, a gallery half way up th