Jan Zrzavý, 1890-1977
Nook in Brittany, 1935
Oil on canvas
Jan Zrzavý’s favorite destination, which he regarded as a well of painting inspiration, was Brittany. His first visit there was in 1925, and it was then that he made a breakthrough thematic change of direction towards landscapes. Brittany attracted him with its peace and quiet, attributes close to his artistic nature, so he stayed there repeatedly throughout the 1930s. Within the framework of his Brittany period, landscape painting became a fully-fledged theme in his work, and it was then that he gradually began to turn towards reality. Nook in Brittany captures a stone house with two gables, a brick wall, a stack of straw and a tree – all reduced to elementary but expressive forms. The composition is characteristic with its moderate colours and fine brushwork, complemented by sketchy contour lines.
