High-resolultion photograph(s) Download

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right: “J. Jíra 88”. Reverse: “J. JÍRA 93 JOB 100 x 80 cm”. According to the expert opinion prepared by Rea Michalová, PhD, “'Job' is an authentic, excellent and symbolically multilayered work by Josef Jíra, a member of the M 57 art group and a leading exponent of the generation of artists that entered the scene in the 1950s and played a crucial role in re-establishing the interrupted traditions of Czech modern art. 'Job' is the artist's deeply poignant, spiritually-toned composition. It depicts a story from the Book of Job in the Old Testament. By choosing this remarkable subject and executing it in the painting, Josef Jíra aims at the essence of true humanity. He utilizes the psychological impact of his typical detail, an oversized eye. Into it he incorporated his personal traumas and horror at the human race, its intolerance and his growing sense of loneliness in the crowd... 'Job' superbly captures Jíra's sensitivity and vulnerability; it is a unique balance between dreaming and the rawness of reality.”