Georgia O'KeeffeDead Tree Bear Lake Taos
Art Bridges Collection
Henry KoernerThe Pigeons
About
At first glance, The Pigeons recalls familiar public spaces. People embrace, feed pigeons, or study those around them, yet there is an ever-present tension. Birds swarm a small girl; there is a fistfight in the corner; and a man lies quietly upon the stairs, corpse-like. A master of magical realism, Henry Koerner captures the chaos underlying the everyday. The dark tone of The Pigeons reflects the devastation Koerner faced upon returning to Vienna in 1946 after World War II, only to learn that his entire family had perished.
Artist
Henry Koerner
Dimensions
39 1/8 × 47 1/2 in. (99.4 × 120.7 cm) Framed: 48 7/8 × 57 1/4 in.
Credit Line
Art Bridges
Date
1948-1949
Medium
Oil on board
Object Number
AB.2021.8
Provenance
Artist; to Dr. Bernard Grossman; by descent to (Sotheby’s, New York, NY), November 22, 2021, American Art, lot 6; purchased by Art Bridges
