Lot 163

Pravoslav Kotík (1889 - 1970) GIRL BEHIND THE BALL

Pravoslav Kotík reduces a running female figure to sharp, angular forms precisely following the principles of Cubism.

The young woman is quickly moving forward, her hands over her head, along the trajectory of the ball, which moves diagonally and almost disappears from the painting. In addition to sharp geometry, Kotík also added a wild Fauvist color scale to emphasize the kinetics of the running figure.

Kotík studied at both the School of Applied Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in the 1920s and joined the country’s major art associations – Mánes Union of Fine Artists and Umělecká Beseda. It was here where he met artists Karel Holan, Miloslav Holý and Karel Kotrba, who in 1924 co-founded Ho Ho Ko Ko Social Group focused on realistic subjects and social themes. His art was markedly influenced by Cubism, which significantly reduced his structures. Kotík's lifelong theme was man in the context of the social environment.