Lot 153

Ota Janeček (1919 - 1996) STANDING FIGURE

The relief by the prominent Czech painter and sculptor Ota Janeček depicts a standing figure made using the assemblage technique from wooden parts, supplemented with local painting. The work belongs to a small group of the artist's mostly metal sculptures from the late 1960s, which he created in his studio outside of Prague. The work corresponds in meaning and appearance to the broader body of Janeček's work, which at the time represented a shift from the Ecce Homo series (Behold, a Man!) to the situation after 1968 with the tragic metaphor of the man-as-target (Jan Palach). Here Janeček explores the relationship of individualised form, distinctly felt in plasticity, to surface. In this way, the relief follows on from his paintings created at this time, which revolve around the question "what is the world made of?". The relief on offer comes from the artist's estate.