Jacob Schikaneder

Acquired by the present owner circa 1970

Original canvas. There is a small spot of retouching to the right of the lower edge visible under ultraviolet light. Apart from some light stretcher marks running parallel to each edge of the canvas, and craquelure scattered throughout the composition, the work is in good condition overall. Held in a wide, black and gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Schikaneder trained at the Academies of Prague (1870-78) and Munich (1878-80). During the 1880s and 1890s he established himself as a painter of genre. The brooding, melancholy mood that often pervaded these early works carried through into the more diffuse nocturnes for which he is now best known. The present work is typical of these twilight views, characterised by a sense of wide open space, isolated light sources punctuating the all-enveloping darkness, and the occasional figure to emphasise the mood of loneliness. The mood conveyed has strong resonances with Czech fin de siècle literature of the period, including the novels of Franz Kafka. It may also have been the inspiration for later twentieth-century painters, including Edward Hopper.