Drápal Vladimír 1921–2015

Untitled, from the series Animal

etching, 6/20, handmade paper, 30 × 49,5 cm, signed. PD Vl. Drápal 69, LD 6/20
The work of painter, graphic artist and sculptor Vladimír Drápal has been a lifelongassociated with his native village of Tvarožná u Brna. It provided him with inspiration and themes from village life, with images of peasants and Moravian women, domestic animals, and rural colouring, which in his He thematised them in his own distinctive way. Drápal's work is based on modernist tradition, which consists in shape abbreviation, abstract, reduced expression and sovereign drawing made up of a few pen strokes, reminiscent of Picasso's inspiration or Brancusi and Moore's shape and volume modelling. The deliberate stylization of human figures, portraits and animals leads to various shape deformations does not bring his work closer to the grotesque, but rather to the form of prehistoric and primitive depictions and pre-images, emphasizing only certain archetypal features and characteristics of the depicted object. Thus Drápal's favourite rural women are often depicted in this way. as "Venus" or unique sculptural portraits of villagers. A favourite Drápal's favorite motif was the horse, especially studies of its head or emaciated sinewy body marked by hard work, depicted in various variations. This piece is accompanied by a monograph V. Drápal