Josef Váchal (1884-1969)

ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

1924–1925
Colour woodcut on paper 25x24 cm (50x34 cm), recto in pencil lower right below the print area the author`s signature "J. Váchal", lower left the title of the work "Na hoře Olivetské (Z Postyly)", signed lower right in print "J. Váchal". A very rare copy from Váchal`s peak period. Váchal printed this motif as part of the book Koruna bludařstva to jest Postyla kacířská. As Váchal himself states in the publishing notes, this book was printed in 16 copies and furthermore "These woodcuts were, apart from the book, printed three more times on separate sheets and the blocks were destroyed during the work"; this is therefore one of a total of three loose sheets that Váchal produced. Verso at top traces of mounting, paper spotted in places. Cf.: collections of the Moravian Gallery in Brno, inv. no. C 30391. Paper spotted in places. Bent upper left corner. The composition is compressed into a tight close-up that emphasises the inner drama of the moment. Christ`s figure is modelled through the refraction of colour planes and sharp linear treatment, thereby acquiring an expression of tension and concentration. The angel with the chalice arrives as a quiet yet inevitable symbol of the accepted fate. Váchal here abandons the breadth of narrative and focuses on psychology, on the moment of decision between human fear and divine self-sacrifice. The colour composition underscores the feeling of nocturnal weight and the foreboding of the approaching suffering.