L11104

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Lot 10
  • 10

Mikuláš Medek

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
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Description

  • Mikuláš Medek
  • lampa
  • signed and dated MEDEK 69 lower right; signed MEDEK lower right; inscribed, signed, dated and titled HAMBURK / M. MEDEK 1970 / "LAMPA" on the reverse
  • mixed media on canvas
  • 120 by 70cm., 47¼ by 27½in.

Provenance

Private Collection, Geneva (acquired from the artist)
Purchased from the above by the present owner

Literature

Mikuláš Medek, exh. cat., Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague, 2002, illustrated (with incorrect measurements)

Condition

Mixed media on original canvas. The pure white pigments in the lower centre fluoresce under UV light but these appear to be the artist's original pigments and not retouching. Overall this work is in good original conidtion. Held in a narrow modern black-painted 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."

Catalogue Note

Mikusláš Medek is one of the most significant personalities of the Czech visual arts in the 20th century. Undeterred by the strictures of the Communist government of the day, he was persistent in his quest for creative freedom. His brother, Ivan Medek, recalled the limitations placed on him as an artist:

'My brother (...) ranked among the most outstanding and most interesting artists of the 1960s, despite the fact that he was not allowed to exhibit his works and his painting could only be seen in his flat. It was a big flat near the Vltava river in Prague. It was a very peculiar case - he was a popular artist but could only work at home. But our flat was always full of people from all over the world, who wanted to see his pictures.'

The grand-son of one of the country's greatest nineteenth century painters, Antonin Slavicek, and son of a fallen general of the Czech army, Medek faced a difficult upbringing both during and after the Second World War. First persecuted by the Nazis, and then by the Communists, he was prevented from completing a formal artistic education, but inspired by the Surrealists, Medek set off to find his own way, which eventually led him to abstraction.