116. Human condition [1899]

This small-sized canvas is a brilliant example of Ivan Mrkvichka's extraordinary talent in building a complex psychological state in the portrait and accurately conveying the type with all ethnographic, historical and socio-cultural features. The complex multi-figure compositions that the author created such as "Market in Plovdiv", 1888, "Zadushnitsa", 1890, "Shop Dance", 1892, "Rachenitsa", 1894, and many others, include dozens of characters, each of them having an individual physiognomic characteristic , emotional state, characteristic costume and role in the overall composition. For the construction of these impressive works, the artist drew dozens of sketches. The canvas "Condition" is an example of this type of preparatory portrait, in which the author set himself the task of conveying a specific state, face, movement and type. Emotion and facial expression, gaze and head movement capture the viewer's attention. The sketch has that spontaneity and energy that is sometimes lost in the process of completing the work. In an earlier portrait "Smoker" from 1894 from the SGHH collection we find the same face. Here the expression is more melancholic, but the pattern is the same – spiritual and expressive. The Status canvas is extremely valuable for any collection because it shows a stage in the work process. Probably, this image is also present in other paintings of Ivan Mrkvichka, which is proof that even such a studied artist again poses challenges to the audience. Ivan Mrkvichka was born on April 23, 1856 in the village of Vadim, Dobansky District, Czechoslovakia. He died on May 16, 1938 in Prague. He is Czech by origin, but he is one of the great figures of the new Bulgarian art. He studied painting in Prague under professors A. Lhota and Jan Swerts, and in Munich under Otto Seitz. In 1881, he accepted the invitation of the government of Eastern Rumelia and arrived in Bulgaria at the age of twenty-five. Initially, he started working as a drawing teacher at the Boys' High School in Plovdiv. He became friends with Konstantin Velichkov, then the Minister of Culture of Eastern Rumelia, and with Anton Mitov. A few years after the Unification, in 1889, he moved to Sofia. In 1896 the State Painting School was opened and Konstantin Velichkov invited Ivan Mrkvichka to be the first director and professor at the school, later the Academy of Arts, where he taught until 1921. In 1923 Mrkvichka returned to Prague and remained there for the rest of his life, but often returns to Bulgaria. His contribution to Bulgaria is enormous - he is one of the founders of the Academy of Arts in Sofia, the magazine "Art" and the Society of Artists in Bulgaria. His painting depicts scenes from everyday life. He works mainly in the biographical genre, portraiture and historical painting. (S.N.)

Dimensiuni

width 18 cm, height 20.5 cm

Descriere

oil on canvas, signed and dated bottom left, in brown, in monogram, "IM, (18)99"

Informații documentare

The artwork corresponds to the requirements for cultural value, according to an expert identification certificate.

Datare

1899

Informații suplimentare

Pentru neclarități în legătură cu procedura de licitare, costurile adjudecării, termenii de garantare, de plată și de ridicare a lotului adjudecat recomandăm citirea/recitirea cu atenție a Regulamentului de Licitare.

Pentru informații suplimentare în legătură cu lotul și licitația contactați Departamentul de Consultanți de Artă.