Lot 86

Jaroslav Panuška (1872 - 1958) MAMMOTH

Jaroslav Panuška's popularity as an artist today is mainly due to his early fantasy symbolist works. In this context, the offered painting of the Mammoth may seem like an atypical curiosity. However, this does not correspond to historical reality, as Panušk's interest in prehistory and ancient archaeology was permanent and lifelong. He devoted a much larger part of his work to this area than is generally considered. He focused on two main thematic areas: important archaeological sites where the life of the ancient Slavs was recorded and prehistoric animals. He collaborated with Josef Ladislav Píč, who is often described as one of the co-founders of Czech archaeology, and even sought - albeit unsuccessfully - to make a career in the field of scientific illustration. He first presented works with these themes in the form of reproductions at Zlata Praha in 1914, and all 177 exhibits of his first solo exhibition at the Topič Salon in 1919 were also devoted to it. In the exhibition catalogue, the image of the mammoth appears four times (cat. nos. 142, 149, 169 and 174). As no further details or reproductions are given, the offered painting cannot be conclusively identified with any of them. The painting is particularly significant because it illustrates precisely that part of Jaroslav Panuška's work which has now receded somewhat into the background of general awareness.