Memories

The presented painting, Memories, shows Emil Filla’s evolution from cubist expressionism to monumental figurative painting in his late period when he returned to work after the traumatic experiences of imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps. The composition is divided into several plans. The expressively stylised young woman’s head dominates the foreground. Filla’s masterful work with texture and impasto gives it plasticity and tangibility. The head is set in a symmetrical still life consisting of a tulip, an oil lamp and a photograph on a round table. The entire scene is simplified and flattened in the spirit of cubist vision, while the colours are bold and contrasting despite their subtlety, enhancing the symbolic nature of the work. The stylised face of a woman with expressive eyes and a hand near her mouth evokes themes of communication and introspection. It can also represent a symbol of innocence and beauty. The fact that the woman is looking towards the photograph on the table refers to the title of the painting – it is a metaphor for remembering. The tulip can represent the idea of ​​rebirth and hope after the war, and since this flower is known for its short flowering time, it can also symbolise the transience of beauty and life in general. In addition, it was a popular subject matter in the still lifes of the 17th-century Dutch masters, Filla’s strong lifelong source of inspiration. The third pivotal element of the composition, the oil lamp, could then refer to the context of everyday life, the passage of time and the transience of life, which are themes that often interested Filla after the war. The painting oscillates between reality and imagination, realism and symbolism, which is another characteristic feature of the artist’s late work. The work originally came from Filla’s estate and was photographed by Josef Sudek (http://www.sudekproject.cz/s4525). It was presented at the artist’s solo exhibition Emil Filla, Works from 1946–1947, SVU Mánes, May 1947, cat. No. 55. The work comes from a high-quality and unique post-revolution collection. Authenticity has been verified by the Filla Foundation, and the painting will be listed in the upcoming inventory of Filla’s work. Assessed during consultations by PhDr. R. Michalová, Ph.D., and Mgr. T. Mátl Donné. The expertise of PhDr. K. Srp is attached.