Silent Sea

Silent Sea, until recently unknown to the public, was executed at the end of Jakub Schikaneder’s career, when there was already a significant re-evaluation of the aesthetic values ​​of Czech and European art. Nevertheless, even at this time, at the beginning of the 20th century, Schikaneder maintained his unmistakable artistic expression based on the roots of traditional European painting. He painted his understanding of the world and inner thoughts that went beyond the boundaries of depicting the simple surface of things, with soft light and colours applied with gentle brushstrokes evoking the softness of pastel. He became a sensitive interpreter of specific facets of the atmosphere of the time. The chosen subject matter and rendering of Silent Sea fit into the group of Schikaneder’s paintings perceived as the peak phase of his work (for example, Heligoland, the Museum of Czech Literature, inv. No. IO 400; Evening on the Coast, National Gallery Prague, inv. No. O 12124; Sea with a Lighthouse, National Gallery Prague, inv. No. O 5733).

The simple composition of the presented painting works with the horizontal division of the scene, subtle abstraction and geometric elements and, with a bit of imagination, anticipates, e.g., the work of Mark Rothko and other abstract painters working with the surface and its colour and light qualities. In contrast to them, Schikaneder still depicted the objective world defined by the woman in the foreground, the sea breaking against the rocks and the sun beating through the misty haze. Still, he had already gone a step further, positioning himself between the worlds of traditionally accepted symbols on the one hand and the sensual language of colours on the other. His visual language has the latent power to speak as urgently and explicitly as the paintings of an older tradition filled with powerful narratives and clearly defined gestures. Inherent elements from Schikaneder’s work, such as a matte glow, pastel colours and inimitable softness of shapes, present him as a world-class painter. This work of undisputable value comes from a high-quality and unique post-revolution collection. Assessed during consultations by prof. R. Prahl, CSc., and prof. T. Vlček, CSc. The expertise of PhDr. Š. Leubnerová is attached.