Lot 161

Ota Janeček (1919 - 1996) IN THE ATELIER

This bravura work on paper by the important Czech artist Ota Janeček dates from the time after his graduation from the School of Applied Arts in Prague, the year he joined the S.V.U. Mánes, where he worked until 1949. His first paintings were marked by the expressiveness typical of the war period. Some of his paintings show inspiration from Amedeo Modigliani, or from the cubism of Pablo Picasso and Emil Filla. It was in 1943 that the strands of his later work began to crystallize, especially his drawings of female nudes. He also begins to exhibit independently for the first time. Apart from painting, printmaking forms a very important part of Janeček's work, especially linocuts, lithography, and drypoint, of which he said: 'I have been doing drypoint from the very beginning and I liked it because I don't need a "kitchen" or a "laboratory". I just need a board and a needle in my pocket. And then - it's a technique of truth. It reveals with absolute certainty how you can draw." The work on offer is part of Josef Sudek's archive of photographs under inventory number S3970N.