Kotík Pravoslav 1889–1970

Society, 1938

mixed media, paper, 43 × 59 cm, mount, frame, glass, signed. bottom right P. Kotík 38, on the reverse Pravoslav Kotík 1938 The expert opinion of PhDr. Rea Michalová, Ph. D. attached.
The present work "Society" is an authentic, visually extremely impressive, in all aspects brilliantly drawn multifigurative composition by Pravoslav Kotík, a leading modern figuralist, an artist who His unquenchable eagerness for new artistic forms made him a "living seeker" and above all a "happy seeker" of distinctive means that served to capture his own life experiences. In his multifaceted work, he did not set out to He did not limit himself and eagerly captured everything that attracted him and provoked him to artistic expression. Kotík was a sensitive commentator on times and situations, depicting interpersonal relationships and bonds. "He stripped his work of its so-called beauty, prettiness and appeal to the superficial eye - so provocatively that (...) he created a style. (...) He went the way of the commonplace (...), a little gloatingly: it's you, man" (České slovo, 1944). The Czech painter, graphic artist, teacher and illustrator Pravoslav Kotík was born on 1 July 1889 in Slabce. He was born in Slabka on 18th century in Slabka, near Rakovník. He completed his secondary school studies at the real school in Rakovník. In 1908-1912 he studied at the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Prague. (prof. E. Dítě, K. V. Mašek and J. Schikaneder). He exhibited for the first time in 1909 in Topič's salon under the pseudonym P. Kraus. In 1912 he graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts and considered the possibility of further studies at the Academy of Fine Arts. He was admitted to Prof. J. Preisler's class (but did not complete his studies). He worked as a teacher until the year 1939. In 1916-1920 he was a member of the Mánes Society of Artists. He then discontinued his membership and became a member of the Art Discussion. Kotík's first solo exhibition was held in Železný Brod in 1921. He also participated in an exhibition for the 60th anniversary of the of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Artistic Beseda in Prague. In 1924, however, he left the Artistic Beseda due to differences of opinion. Along with him left Miloslav Holý, Karel Holan, Karel Kotrba, Emanuel Frinta and others. With some of them he later founded the so-called Social Group (1925), formerly known as HO-HO-KO-KO (The year 1924 also brought Kotík his first study trip to Paris, which he then visited annually until 1937. In the autumn of 1928 he again became a member of the SVU Mánes and exhibited his works with them in Mladá Boleslav. Early works by Pravoslav Kotík were influenced by Expressionism and Fauvism. In the 1920s, he was inspired by social realism, (neo)classicism and cubism, with which he became acquainted with during his study trips to France. His entire oeuvre is permeated by the basic motif of human existence in complex interpersonal relationships. The author's His artistic career was curtailed by the Second World War. During this period he returned to the theme of the countryside. He focused on the depiction of ordinary people and their lives. through the eyes of an urban man. In the 1950s, he gradually evolved to non-figurative morphology. The submitted work "Society", rendered in a bravura mixed media gouache technique, allowing spontaneous communication, concentrates in itself the most expressive of the specifics of Kotík's work. This work exemplarily demonstrates that the artist life itself provided the best motifs.