František Kupka

Dr. Jan Loriš
Sale: Dorotheum, Prague, 14 October 2000, lot 1
Purchased at the above sale

Jiří Hlušička, The Hascoe Collection of Czech Modern Art, Prague, 2004, p. 192, no. P43, catalogued; p. 37, pl. 17, illustrated

This work is overall in good condition.
"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."

Executed in 1903, Kupka captures the same vibrant joie de vivre in the present work that he expressed in his last great Symbolist painting of two years earlier: Ballad-Joys (Epona-ballade) (fig. 1). Both subjects reflect Kupka's immersion in the study of pagan antiquity at the time. Yet almost certainly set on the beach at Trégastel in Brittany, the upright contraposto pose of the idealised young girl in the present work, her discarded beach towel behind her, combines the artist's search for the Classical with an overtly sensual immediacey, a sexual nuance perhaps precipitated by his break with his lover Gabrielle that year.

Fig. 1, Frantisek Kupka, Ballad-Joys (Epona-ballade), 1901-02, National Gallery, Prague