Lot 103

Antonín Procházka (1882 - 1945) THE HORSE TAMER

Antonín Procházka first studied at the UMPRUM and then at the Academy of Fine Arts under Prof. V. Bukovac, H. Schwaiger and M. Švabinský. Procházka's work was initially influenced by the work of Edvard Munch, but he gradually moved from expressionism to his own distinctive conception of cubism, also called Procházka's Orphism. In the 1920s, Antonín Procházka moved towards neoclassicism to poetic primitivism and experimented extensively with the encaustic technique. The modelling of figures rounds off from cubic edges and lines into sculpturally elaborate proportions, often with folk themes. The line drawing and focus on human figures and their psychologization follows contemporary trends and celebrates life and its lyrical beauty. The painting is charming and accessible to the audience, non-confrontational and "art deco". Procházka strictly rejected academicism and, together with E. Filla and B. Feigl, tried to find new starting points for Czech art beyond the borders. Verso stamp of the 1934 exhibition at Mánes, where his large group exhibition of over 200 works was held. Reproduced: The Josef Sudek Project and the photographic documentation of works of art: from a private art archive to the representation of cultural heritage, Inv. no. S4519N.