Lot 50

Ladislav Šaloun (1870 - 1946) KUSS

The vase, which is one of the outstanding works of the Czech Art Nouveau, won the highest award in the competition announced by the magazine Volné směry in 1899. The patinated bronze vase consists of two dynamic bodies of lovers, which easily touch the fulcrum - edge of a vase in the classical style. The vase comes from an important collection of Jiří Winter Neprakta. Ladislav Šaloun (1870–1946) - sculptor and illustrator, student in the classes of T. Seidan and B. Schnirch, is one of the key figures of Czech Art Nouveau symbolism in sculpture. He was one of the most productive sculptors of the first half of the 20th century and very often collaborated with architects on monumental works. The main and most important work was the monument of Master Jan Hus on the Old Town Square in Prague (1901, completed in 1915). During his creation, Šaloun was influenced by the monumental work of Auguste Rodin. For Ladislav Šaloun, sculpture does not mean a mere stylistic change, but becomes the bearer of the expression of thought.