Mikuláš Medek

Purchased in Prague by the present owner in the late 1960s

Bochum, Städtische Kunstgalerie, Tschechoslowakische Kunst heute, 1965
Prague, Art Centrum (by 1968, label on verso)

The canvas has not been lined. There are very minor spots of paint flaking, notably one circa 11cm from the top left corner and one 7cm from the left edge, a couple of spots further down along the left edge and one 9cm from the bottom left corner along the lower edge. The picture is otherwise in good original condition and ready to hang. Presented in a narrow wooden frame.
"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."

Painted in 1965, Too much Alcohol II (Vodka) is part of a cycle of paintings exploring the themes of sleep, alcohol and alcoholic sleep and was considered by Medek's first biographer, Bohumir Mraz, to be a self-portrait in alcoholic sleep: 'The thought that runs so insistently through Medek's work and is expressed each time in a different way, is a highly romantic thought: 'The only delight which is still experienced in a state of exhaustion is the delight of sleep; the exhausted want rest, stretched limbs, silence - that is the happiness of nihilistic religion and philosophies' (Nietzsche)' (B. Mraz, Mikuláš Medek, Prague, 1970, pp. 27-28).

Mikuláš Medek is one of the most significant personalities of the Czech visual arts in the 20th century. Undeterred by the strictures of the Communist government of the day, he was persistent in his quest for creative freedom. His brother, Ivan Medek, recalled the limitations placed on him as an artist:

'My brother (...) ranked among the most outstanding and most interesting artists of the 1960s, despite the fact that he was not allowed to exhibit his works and his painting could only be seen in his flat. It was a big flat near the Vltava river in Prague. It was a very peculiar case - he was a popular artist but could only work at home. But our flat was always full of people from all over the world, who wanted to see his pictures.'

The grandson of one of the country's greatest nineteenth century painters, Antonin Slavicek, and son of a fallen general of the Czech army, Medek faced a difficult upbringing both during and after the Second World War. First persecuted by the Nazis, and then by the Communists, he was prevented from completing a formal artistic education, but inspired by the Surrealists, Medek set off to find his own way, which eventually led him to abstraction.