Lot 235

Kryštof Hošek (1984) A CUPID II.

The sculpture is a paraphrase of the well-known, mysterious painting by master Caravaggio - The Victorious Cupid, provoking viewers with its nudity and sexuality, which it unashamedly exposes. The painting was painted in 1602 for a Roman collector, the Marquis Vincenzo. When touring the gallery, it was shown as the last exhibit, otherwise "all rarities would cease to be interesting". The exposure of the figure to a three-dimensional dimension is an artistic play that develops the theme suggested by Caravaggio: The theme of love, eroticism, the subconscious and emotions that sometimes oscillate on the edge of the noblest human feelings, but also of a hidden, unpredictable hatred. The spatiality and multifaceted nature of this figurative sculpture actualizes the basic idea of the work - the expression of the duality of positive and negative consequences of emotions in human society. The frontal view of the sculpture represents the kissable, lascivious and challenging Cupid, who is a symbol of love and eroticism. The surprising rear view, on the other hand, refers to the problems of the individual and society through the contemporary element. The sculpture is a variation of the artist's diploma thesis at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. Kryštof Hošek is one of the most outstanding artists of the younger middle generation. He is primarily engaged in sculpture, or rather classical, figurative sculpture. Many of his sculptures are conceived for public space. Recently he has exhibited his work at the Kampa Museum, NG Prague, DOX and GASK Kutná Hora.