Lot 92

Emanuel Kodet (1880 - 1954) LILA NIKOLSKÁ

Desire, passion, an ode to the beauty of the female body, a story of dance, capturing graceful curves in motion – Czech sculptor Emanuel Kodet imparted all this with timelessness and lightness in this statue of a prima ballerina. The model for the statue was a real woman, dancer and prima ballerina Lila Nikolska (also known in English as Jelizaveta, Elizaveta or Elisabeth and with the variant spelling Nicolska; born Elizaveta Nikolska de Boulkin). Her dazzling beauty can be found in many artworks, including a poster by Maurice Picaud or in František Drtikol’s The Dancer series.

Kodet studied at the ceramic school in Bechyně and under Stanislav Sucharda at the School of Applied Arts in Prague. He resided in Rome for one year and exhibited at the Topič Salon in Prague. Initially influenced by the symbolism in fin-de-siècle art, his work moved towards the monumentalism formed by Jan Štursa. He has created a number of important works, including the Žižka equestrian statue on Vítkov Hill in Prague-Žižkov, the Žižka Monument in Sudoměř, the Hus Monument in Sušice, and the pilasters on Charles University’s Faculty of Arts building in Prague.

His sculptures and statues are dominated by an Art Nouveau view of the world transformed into female figures and nudes. His objects are far from static, masterfully capturing movement and the sensual expression of tension with exquisitely formed female curves.