Saint Francis Preaching to the Fishes

Oskar Laske presents a sprawling, narrative-rich depiction of the legendary sermon of Saint Francis, where the boundaries between the terrestrial and the aquatic dissolve. A lone figure stands upon a coastal outcrop, gesturing toward a rhythmic surge of marine life that mirrors the curvature of the shoreline. The composition captures a moment of profound communion, rendered through an imaginative lens that balances ecclesiastical tradition with early 20th-century secular whimsy.

Why We Picked It
The artwork is compelling for its use of centrifugal motion, where the circular arrangement of the fish creates a sense of dynamic energy flowing toward the central figure. Laske’s color palette is distinct, utilizing high-saturation corals and cinnabars in the gnarled tree to the right, which contrast sharply against the cool, rhythmic blues of the Adriatic-inspired seascape. The technical execution showcases a graphic, almost illustrative quality influenced by his architectural background, allowing for a dense accumulation of species—from crustaceans to cephalopods—without sacrificing the clarity of the broader narrative arc.

Notable Context
Created in the period following the First World War, this work reflects the "Internal Emigration" and escapism prevalent among Austrian artists who sought refuge in folklore and religious hagiography. While the subject is ancient, the execution is firmly rooted in the Vienna Secession and the Hagenbund movements, which favored decorative complexity and a departure from rigid academic realism. Laske, who served as a war painter, often pivoted toward these fantastical, peaceful allegories as a creative response to the geopolitical disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, finding solace in the universal harmony of the natural world.

About the Artist
Oskar Laske (1874–1951) was a versatile Austrian architect, painter, and stage designer whose work is defined by a unique narrative exuberance. A student of the visionary architect Otto Wagner, Laske initially gained fame for his Art Nouveau building designs before transitioning fully into fine art and printmaking. His style is characterized by a "world-theater" perspective—dense, panoramic scenes filled with meticulous detail and a touch of the bizarre.