František Emler (1912-1992)

BRETAGNE

end of the 1930s
Oil on cardboard, 58x41 cm (64,5x47 cm), signed lower right "F. Emler". Framed, glazed. The painting represents a distinctive example of Emler’s earlier work, reflecting his experience from a study trip to Italy undertaken during the 1930s. The composition, with its compact cluster of stone houses and pronounced, almost sculptural modelling of forms, evokes the architecture of Mediterranean towns and their narrow streets. The robust shapes of the buildings, compressed perspective and treatment of light–shadow contrast evoke the atmosphere of ancient Italian towns (Tuscany, Umbria or Liguria). Emler’s characteristic style is underlined by expressively stylised surfaces, the marked rhythmisation of stonework and a muted yet harmoniously structured palette in shades of grey, ochre and blue. The small figures of women in black dresses enhance the local character, introduce a narrative element and at the same time soften the monumentality of the architectural masses. The motif may be compared with Emler’s paintings from southern Europe and Brittany, created in the 1930s–40s: a similar stylisation of architectural structure, emphasis on the silhouette of buildings and expressive contour also appear in his coastal landscapes. These features, together with the technique used and the type of support, suggest a date in the second half of the 1930s, i.e. the period after his return from Italy, when the artist was still processing the inspirations gained during his studies. Condition B.