Bedřich Feigl, 1884-1965
,Bathing, around 1908
Aquarelle on paper
In 1907, Bedřich Feigl was at the birth of the artistic group Osma, within which the Czech interpretation of Expressionism was formed. As a German-Jewish artist born in Bohemia, he actively influenced the Czech and German cultural environment. The figurative scene Bathing, controversial with its contrasting depiction of naked women and veiled men, may remind you of the famous work Breakfast in the Grass by Édouard Manet. However, Feigl approached his painting entirely in the spirit of Expressionist tendencies. The scenery was flat, his main means of expression being muted colours together with black contour lines. He let light into the darkened composition and captured its refraction on the female nudes simply with the help of a strong yellow, thus making ingenious use of the natural light intensity of the colour itself.
