Lot 181

Ota Janeček (1919 - 1996) SPRING IN TRÓJA

Ota Janeček was active in many artistic disciplines. In addition to his remarkable paintings, he also left his mark on sculpture, drawing, and graphic art, as well as an exceptionally extensive body of work in illustration, applied art, and film. He first studied drawing at the Prague Technical University under Cyril Bouda and Oldřich Blažíček, then continued at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in the studios of František Kysela and Josef Novák. In his early work, he focused on figural themes and still lifes, in which he developed the artistic innovations of the first half of the 20th century, especially Cubism and Expressionism. A striking change occurred in the late 1940s, when he turned his attention to nature on both a small and large scale, with lyricism and a kind view of the world becoming the main ingredients of his distinctive and easily recognizable style. The painting Spring in Troy, dated 1951, depicts a naturalistic landscape with solitary trees whose branches intertwine across the surface. Between 1951 and 1957, Janeček created a series of paintings focusing on undulating landscapes and geometric cities. The inventory number on the reverse of the painting proves that the original painting on one canvas was later repainted. The title of the work is located on the reverse of the painting.