The
sculptor Jan Štursa (1880–1925) regarded drawing as an intrinsic part of his
artwork. In drawing, his initial ideas were outlined and the appearance of his
finished works took shape. In 1908, Štursa progressed from idealised nudes of
young girls (Puberty, 1905–1906)
influenced by literary symbolism to conveying the vitalism of modern life in
the firm, lissom form of the human, mainly female, body. In this regard, dance,
which he could observe on Prague’s theatre stages, offered him diverse creative
stimuli that found expression in both his sculptures and drawings. In his
sculptures and drawings, Štursa depicted not only the real-life dancers Sulamit
Rahu and Olga Gzovská but also the dynamic poses he had seen on stage,
projecting them also into works of other subjects, often in surprising
contexts.
Graphic Arts Cabinet – Petra Kolářová
Graphic Arts Cabinet – Petra Kolářová
