Špála Václav 1885–1946

Still life with apples, 1943

oil, cardboard, frame, glass, 21 × 28,7 cm, signed bottom left V Špála 43
In the inventory under number 1559 for B. Vykopala. Provenance: from the collection of Bohumil Vykopal. Authenticity confirmed by PhDr. Maria Dohnalová. The expert opinion of PhDr. Maria Dohnalová is attached. Still life with apples (1943) is a characteristic, author's unquestionable Václav Špála's work from 1943. thoughtful, typical of the artist. The distinctive yellow of the apple in the centre of the composition is balanced on both sides and defined by two green apples. The highlight of this composition is the red of the overarching of the apple, which transitions into more colour tones. The background of the still life is made up of by a distinctive spaghetti blue, which is emphasised by the judicious use of whites, suggesting clouds, and the whites are also reflected in the individual elements of the still life. The unmistakable pyramidal composition of the work is underlined by the blue contour line of apples, typical for Špála. The painting is signed and dated in the lower left edge of the painting. The signature is contemporaneous with the creation of work. In 1943, the artist almost completely excluded landscape painting from his work. and devoted himself to painting still lifes, often in smaller formats. According to the annual season, it can be traced that in the winter months, still lifes with apples or pears, and from the spring months and through the summer, still lifes with flowers (buttercups, lilies of the valley, peonies, etc.). It can therefore be concluded that the theme of the still-life was chosen according to the availability of the themes depicted, as is naturally season naturally offered. The artist's personal note on the painting production for the year 1943 is as follows. of which 25 paintings were sold and 14 paintings exchanged 16 paintings for a total of 55 pieces'. If Špála considers these works qualitatively they are listed under the Roman numeral I or II. are not. The description in pencil on the reverse side of the cardboard refers to the publication Václav Špála inventory of works (1885-1946), Prague 2002, p. 134. Here it is under the heading 1559 the following is given: I (author's evaluation of the work) 23.2.43 (date oil, decal 1559 (inventory number) Apples, 6 pieces on a carp blanket, at the back clouds 28 x 20 Dug by (owner of the work). The inventory shows that in the above day, Václav Špála painted two paintings, both of the same subject, differing in the number of apples depicted and thus also slightly in format. The owner of the work was the Brno collector Bohumil Vykopal, who painted purchased it directly from the artist, as evidenced by the surviving correspondence. The authenticity and provenance of the painting are therefore, thanks to this provenance, absolutely unquestionable. Still Life with Apples, 1943 is an authentic, author's unambiguous, signed, dated, audience-pleasing and for the given Václav Špála's work is typical for this creative period in terms of subject matter and painting. PhDr. Marie Dohnalová Václav Špála (24 August 1885 Žlutice u Nový Bydžova - 13 May 1946 Prague) Studies: 1899-1902 Vocational school of artistic locksmithing in Hradec Hradec Králové, 1902 private school of landscape designer F. Engelmüller, 1903 UMPRUM, 1903-1909 AVU in Prague (Vlaho Bukovac, František Thiele). Špála made numerous study trips and foreign stays in Europe. Member of the group Osma, Group of Visual Artists, SVU Mánes, Tvrdošíjných; correspondent member of the Vienna Hagenbund, an important representative of the founding generation of Czech modern art, artist gifted with unusual Together.