Eduard Milén (1891-1976)

ROSES

Tempera on paper, 60x40 cm (76x56 cm), signed lower left with initials "E. M.". Verso with the artist’s label bearing the artist’s name, address, title of the work, technique and dimensions. Mounted, framed, glazed. After the Second World War, Eduard Milén developed his painterly expression in a distinctly poetic vein. The dynamism of the brush and the fragmentation of volumes reflect his shift away from the earlier decorative Secession and the “Parisian” elegance of the 1920s towards a freer, more spontaneously painterly form. The gently muted palette is nevertheless accentuated by sharp touches of red and yellow, which create focal points within the floral composition featuring a bouquet in a vase. In this seemingly modest work executed in a light technique, there is a clearly emphasised colour analysis and structuring of form. The painting is characterised by a loose yet carefully considered construction of surfaces, in which the figurative point of departure gradually dissolves into an almost abstract painterly record. The floral motif here serves primarily as a vehicle for working with rhythmic brushstroke, colour harmony and the luminosity of the surface. The painting conveys a lively, almost vibrating impression. The layering of both glazed and impasto applications of paint creates a sense of shimmering light – a phenomenon that Milén continued to develop with unwavering assurance in the 1960s and 1970s. Condition A. Includes the “Dílo” sales sheet from 1971.