Lot 149

Josef Šíma (1891 - 1971) UNTITLED

“I believe that for a painter, lightning, fire, and light are elements from which he must never stray,” wrote Josef Šíma in a 1959 letter to a friend. In the drawings from the late period of his career, the painter reaches the second peak of his artistic development. Gradually, references to visible reality or specifically distinguishable objects disappear from them, and the artist delves into the very essence of being. He returns to primordial chaos—to the as-yet unorganized, formless matter from which the first archetypal shapes and vague seeds of forms are born. A delicate, shimmering haze of light permeates the drawing, spreading across the entire surface of the paper. Šíma thus creates the impression that the work is formed from volatile, vibrating energy. In this 1962 drawing, this energy is concentrated into ellipsoidal volumes that levitate along the composition’s imaginary central axis. In the lower right corner is the signature and date: J. Šíma 62. Drawing is accompanied by a separate dedication: “To the gracious Mrs. Božková, respectfully yours, Šíma.”