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FRANTISEK DRTIKOL, (Czechoslovakian, 1883-1961), UNTITLED NUDE, blindstamp: "DRTIKOL PRAGUE", on ...

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:8,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD
FRANTISEK DRTIKOL, (Czechoslovakian, 1883-1961), UNTITLED NUDE, blindstamp:  DRTIKOL PRAGUE , on ...
FRANTISEK DRTIKOL
(Czechoslovakian, 1883-1961)
UNTITLED NUDE
blindstamp: "DRTIKOL PRAGUE"
on recto
gelatin silver print
113/16 x 815/16 in. (28.4 x 22.7 cm)
circa 1927
ESTIMATE: $8,000-12,000
<p>PROVENANCE
Private Collection
Created during the most successful period of Frantisek Drtikol's career, the present photograph demonstrates a shift in his work, from symbolism to formalism. While Prague was experiencing an explosion of Modernism, Drtikol maintained his classical address of the female nude, but also welcomed vanguard aesthetic impulses. As the present work indicates, Dritkol began to experiment with strong sources of side lighting to deepen shadows and heighten a sense of eroticism.
At this time, Dritkol's classical models were replaced by dancers, and the melancholic nature of his work was enlivened by dynamic movement. Background became empty space, a canvas to project shadows. In this photograph, the model/dancer was most likely instructed to hold her position for a lengthy period of time, in order to intensify the dynamic pose. Light and shadow also accentuate the plasticity of her taut body.