Lot 68
  • 68

Emil Filla

Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 GBP
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Description

  • Emil Filla
  • Sculptress in the Studio (SOCHAŘKA V ATELÉRU)
  • signed Emil Filla and dated '46 center left
  • oil on canvas laid on board
  • 120 by 80cm., 47¼ by 31½in.
  • 120 x 80 cm

Provenance

Private Collection, Scandinavia
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, 13 November 1996, lot 330

Exhibited

Greenwich, Connecticut, Bruce Museum, The Pleasures of Collecting: Part II, Modern and Contemporary Art, 2003
Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham Museum of Art, Pražské noci / Prague Nights: Czech Modern Art from the Hascoe Collection, 2007

Literature

Jiří Hlušička, Emil Filla, Brno, 2003, no. 105
Jiří Hlušička, The Hascoe Collection of Czech Modern Art, Prague, 2004, p. 27, mentioned; p. 190, no. P24, catalogued; p. 179, pl. 165, illustrated
Vojtěch Lahoda, Emil Filla, Prague, 2007, p. 582, pl. 639, illustrated

Condition

Original canvas. There are no signs of retouching visible under ultra-violet light. Apart from some minor craquelure this work is 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."

Catalogue Note

Painted in 1946, the present work is typical of Filla's mature period, combining influences from Picasso's work with a French Impressionist technique and a rich Expressionist palette. Filla first saw the work of the Impressionists in Prague in 1902. The Expressionist influence was the result of viewing the work of Edward Munch in exhibitions in Prague in 1904 and 1905. Munch's work held a particular fascination for Filla and his contemporaries in their formative years.

Filla was a painter, sculptor, engraver and theorist, and played one of the most influential roles in the rise of the avant-garde in Bohemia. He was instrumental in the formation of Osma (The Eight), and exhibited in both Osma exhibitions in 1907 and 1908. From 1910-11 he was a member of the artist group  S.V.U. Mánes and in 1911 co-founded the Group of Fine Artists. Strongly influenced by Picasso, it was Filla's purist interpretation of Cubism that became the hallmark of the Group of Fine Artists. After the group dissolved in 1917 he rejoined S.V.U. Mánes in 1920.

Fig. 1: Pablo Picasso, The Sculptor, 1931, oil on wood, Musée Picasso, Paris © Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2011