Winter Village Square

Winter Village Square is an example of Josef Lada’s unmistakable artistic poetics. This scene, set in a Czech village reminiscent of the painter’s native Hrusice, is dominated by an undisturbed, almost dream-like atmosphere that Lada depicted lovingly and repeatedly. A small Romanesque church towers majestically on the hill and is surrounded by a small graveyard, just like St. Václav’s Church in Hrusice. Nevertheless, the little section of the pond in the foreground, which is not found in the village today, indicates that this is an idealised landscape. The iconic motif creates the sense of a familiar place, to which one happily returns. The typical rural architecture with timbered gables, the houses with shabby walls and the frozen pond in the foreground create the atmosphere of a calm winter’s day. Trees bare of leaves, snow-covered roofs and soft contours imbue the scene with an almost fairytale quality while the colour palette of the painting remains muted in shades of white, grey, and beige. Lada’s painterly mastery is particularly evident in the meticulous depiction of the gloomy-looking sky, which still lets a few pink and orange rays of the setting sun shine through under the weight of snow-filled clouds. Although the painting was created in the middle of World War II, it bears no trace of wartime reality, instead presenting an idyllic flight into a harmonious, almost timeless world. This scene full of calm and the joy of ordinary winter moments serves as a declaration of love for Lada’s native landscape, childhood and Czech traditions. The value of the work is increased by its presentation at the author’s exhibition at Mánes (Josef Lada, Mánes Association of Fine Arts, Prague, 1–21 April 1946), which is evidenced by a stamp on the painting’s verso. Assessed in consultation with Prof. J. Zemina and PhDr. R. Michalová, PhD. The expert opinion of PhDr. P. Pečinková, CSc. is attached.