Au Vert (Envoi pour La Revue)

Au Vert (Envoi pour La Revue)

An interesting historic gallery print associated with the Paris presentation of the work of František Kupka, featuring the motif Au Vert (Envoi pour La Revue). This is not an ordinary later reproduction, but a gallery print issued in Paris in 1964 on the occasion of a František Kupka exhibition at the renowned Galerie Karl Flinker. The print served as the official invitation to the exhibition “Gouaches et Pastels 1906–1945”, held from 26 May to 30 June 1964. The reproduced motif is Kupka's Au Vert (Envoi pour La Revue), originally created in 1913. The object is therefore of interest not only visually but also as a historical document. It records the post-war presentation of Kupka's work in Paris and evokes the environment of important European private galleries that contributed to the international recognition of modern art. The composition itself reflects Kupka's progressive liberation of colour and form from traditional representation. Its horizontal structure is based on the rhythm of coloured areas and abstract forms associated with the crucial development of his art in the early 20th century. František Kupka (1871–1957) ranks among the most important figures of Czech and European modern art. After studying in Prague and Vienna, he moved to Paris and subsequently made France his permanent home. Even before the First World War, he had arrived at a radically abstract visual language and became one of the pioneers of European abstraction. Kupka was deeply interested in the relationships between colour, rhythm, movement and music. His work gradually abandoned conventional figurative representation in favour of an autonomous world of colour and form. Today his works are represented in major international museum collections, and Kupka remains one of the most internationally significant artists of Czech origin. According to the original catalogue information, the present example comes from a private French collection and was consulted with an expert. A copy of the original invitation to the Paris exhibition is preserved on the reverse of the frame, documenting the connection between the print and the Galerie Karl Flinker exhibition. The print measures 12 × 42 cm within the mount opening and is elegantly mounted, framed and glazed. CURATOR'S TIP: This is not an original work by Kupka, nor does it pretend to be – its appeal lies somewhere entirely different. It is an authentic gallery artefact from Paris in 1964, issued for an exhibition devoted to one of the most important Czech artists. Objects like this can make fascinating additions to a collection because they preserve not only Kupka's imagery but also a tangible piece of the history of how his work was presented in France. At the new starting price of CZK 5,000, it offers a particularly accessible collecting opportunity. FOR INVESTORS: The value of this lot should primarily be understood as that of a historic gallery and collecting document, rather than an original graphic work by František Kupka. Its appeal is strengthened by its 1964 publication by Galerie Karl Flinker in Paris, its direct connection with the Gouaches et Pastels 1906–1945 exhibition, its French provenance and surviving documentation. The CZK 5,000 starting price has been significantly reduced from its previous auction offering and provides an accessible entry point for collectors of Kupka-related material and documents associated with European modern art.