Mikuláš Medek

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

Prague, Galerie Nová síň, Mikuláš Medek: Obrazy z let 1947-1965, 1965
Worpswede, Worpsweder Kunsthalle, 12 tschechische Künstler, 1966

Original canvas. Under ultraviolet light there are signs of fluorescence especially in the reds around the black forms however these would certainly appear to be attributable to the artist's working methods rather than corresponding to retouching. This work is in good original condition and ready to hang. Presented in a simple modern 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."

Mikusláš Medek was one of the most significant personalities of the Czech visual arts in the twentieth 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 paintings 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 very personal and idiosyncratic abstraction.