Rudolf Kundera (1911-2005) Young Man In Harlequin Clothing

The harlequin, the clown of commedia dell'arte, the one who is supposed to make people laugh. Kundera calls us to witness and questions us: “is there not hidden beneath the fantasy of this character a deep melancholy and a certain distress? » The artist's message comes across and great emotion emanates from this beautiful painting. The light and a multicolored garment which spring from the intense blue of the background, and the accuracy of a perfect drawing make this oil on cardboard panel a work of high quality which leaves no one indifferent. The work is offered in a simple, golden frame which measures 95 cm by 58 cm and 91.5 cm by 54 cm for the cardboard alone. It represents a young man as a Harlequin, with a melancholy expression who poses and seems intimidated by the artist. Some usual cracks due to the thickness of the material, the work is signed at the top left.

It was on the initiative of Alfons Mucha that he left, in 1930, to study painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he obtained his diploma in 1936. He then obtained a scholarship to Rome, where he created a whole series of paintings for churches, as well as landscapes and portraits. He acquired significant notoriety and notably became the friend of Bohuslav Martinů. At the start of the Second World War, he took refuge in Paris. He became friends with French people, including the writer Claude Mauriac and the poet Paul Valéry. To escape the occupation he left Paris, via Nantes and Toulouse he reached the South of France. He will be received by Countess Lily Pastré in Marseille, which hosts many artists. A realistic painter, he is especially renowned as a colorist, with an assertive personality. He painted landscapes of Provence, folk scenes from Moravia, paintings inspired by the circus, and numerous portraits of personalities of his time. He has exhibited in several European countries and the United States. His paintings are in two museums in Marseille: the Cantini Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts.