Lot 65

Bohumil Kafka (1878 - 1942) WAKING ACT

At the end of 1904, Kafka secured a studio in Paris, where he initially worked in the spirit of symbolism, later moving towards a more modern sensualist interpretation. Here, in a modest studio on Avenue d'Orléans in Paris, he feverishly created a large series of sculptures, including Mummy and The Madmen, which Kafka used to represent himself and which, even from today's perspective, are among his most modern creations. The author's internationally comparable artistic level is demonstrated by his pre-war works, now on permanent display at the National Gallery in the Trade Fair Palace. Prof. PhDr. Petr Wittlich, CSc. characterizes his work with the words: "Kafka's works contain the chill of life, expressive silhouettes, skillful ornamentation, and a feverish, somewhat dark imagination, moderation, and elegance of spirit." The sculpture Awakening was created in marble while Kafka was still in France, primarily for the purpose of presenting this work: specifically at the Paris exhibition in 1906, at the Salon d'automne, and at the 29th exhibition of the Vienna Secession group. The frequency with which The Awakening appeared at exhibitions demonstrates the importance the sculpture had for the author, who returned to it in 1926 with a slightly smaller version, as evidenced by the date on the sculpture under the author's signature.
Published: Kafka, Bohumil and Wittlich, Petr. Bohumil Kafka: (1878-1942): The Story of a Sculptor. Prague: Karolinum, 2014, p. 66.