Lot 144

Otakar Mrkvička (1898 - 1957) PRAGUE NOCTURNES

Themes of mysterious Prague corners are among the most sought-after subjects of Otakar Mrkvička's work. This important representative of the interwar avant-garde, known mainly for his art reviews, was a close contemporary of J. Štyrský and Toyen, and his work is gradually coming to the fore. Initially heavily influenced by the constructivist aesthetic of the Nineties, he made a transformative transition to poetic primitivism in the 1930s. The visually striking mysterious corners capture the atmosphere of a lonely night or a night walker in these tendencies. The world of Mrkvicka's alleyways shrouded in dark night, from which lonely faces emerge, is a world of veiled mystery in an age that often demanded many secrets.