Frantisek Foltyn

Private Collection, Toulouse, France (acquired by 1985)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, glued to the mount at three places along the upper and lower edges. There are artist's pin holes to all four corners and the upper and lower edges are slightly unevenly cut. There is a 3cm long vertical repaired tear to the centre of the lower edge, a 2cm long horizontal repaired tear to the centre of the right edge and 1cm long horizontal tear to the centre of the left edge. There is a diagonal crease accross the lower right corner and some further minor creases in places. The sheet is slightly time-stained and there are some areas of minor discolouration in places. The medium is in a good condition. Otherwise this work is in overall good condition. Colours: Fairly accurate in the printed catalogue.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

 Foltyn, an important member of the Czech avant-garde, executed this drawing during his stay in Paris. It is a study for the major painting Imperialism (fig. 1), which depicts a tin man holding a red scythe in his hands. The numbers 14 and 18 echo the span of the First World War and the figure recalls a number of popular culture motifs at the time, such as the Tin Woodman in L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900, a figure that has often been read to have political meaning and has its source deep in European folk art. The metallic, cylindric forms in the present work establish a stroing visual link with Fernand Léger, whose works in the late 1910s had been populated by such forms.