Lot 74

Bohumil Kubišta (1884 - 1918) OLD PRAGUE MOTIF

From the expert opinion of PhDr. Mahulena Nešlehová: "Bohumil Kubišta most likely realized this graphic shortly after completing the painting Old Prague Motif (1911, oil on canvas, 98 x 84 cm). He was encouraged by the monochrome color scheme of the painting, which was solved by valery from black through gray to off-white tones; also the technique line etching enabled the artist to deepen the light contrasts of the cubized shapes and to intensify the magical impact of the motif as well as its spiritual effect. Since it was a graphic variant of the image, Kubišta was obliged to make a change in the matrix according to the required rules; therefore, the oval tree crown that we know is missing in the print in the right part from his painting. Unfortunately, we don't know how many copies of this graphic Kubišta printed during his lifetime. On none of his graphic sheets, he never stated, as is customary, the approximate amount of the print and the number of the given print in the lower left part under the print. But judging by the annotation the artist's name, engraving of the graphic and the number of František Kubišta's handprint, it is probably an additional print made for the purpose of sale, on the occasion of Kubišta's posthumous exhibition, which took place in Prague in the House of Artists (today's Rudolfinum) in February 1920. The etching of the Old Prague motif was exhibited here under catalog number 71."