The Servants’ Carol

In the context of Lada’s later works, The Servants’ Carol (or rather, The Servant) presents a typical articulation of a Christmas motif, as well as a rare testimony to Lada’s ability to transform his personal melancholy after the loss of his wife into a timeless depiction of a rural idyll. It is an enchanting return to the world of childhood memories, where reality overlaps with the fairytale timelessness of a Czech village. With captivating lightness, the artist tells the story of a Christmas Eve night, when quietly falling snowflakes shroud the village square in a white robe and the windows of log cottages illuminate the dark with their welcoming light. The silhouettes of a trio of characters – a “servant” trumpeting a carol, a woman with a basket on her back and a boy with a dog – become silent witnesses to a magical moment, enhanced by the characteristic foreshortening of perspective as a result of the author’s unique vision of the world, caused by his visual impairment. Along with the tall tree in the square, the church tower rising in the background like the eternal guardian of the community’s peaceful life bears silent witness to this intimate microstory. The formal side of the work reflects Lada’s lifelong interest in nighttime atmospheres – the soft, autumnal colours are combined with a strong contour line that defines the individual elements of the composition with precision worthy of an illuminated manuscript. The authenticity of the work, distinguishing it from the commonplace variations created for Christmas cards, is underlined by the direct provenance from the author, who gave it to the father of the current owner in the context of their personal friendship. The work was exhibited at the posthumous comprehensive exhibition held to mark Josef Lada’s 70th birthday (National Artist Josef Lada: A Comprehensive Exhibition for His Seventieth Birthday, Prague, Slovanic Island, Prague, 27 December 1957 – February 1958, cat. no. 187) and at a solo exhibition in Olomouc (Josef Lada: Graphic Works, Olomouc Museum of Art, 20 November 2008 – 25 January 2009). It was also published and reproduced in colour in a monograph by Jiří Olič (Lada, Prague 2008, p. 651, fig. no. 817). Assessed in consultation with Prof. J. Zemina and PhDr. R. Michalová, Ph.D. The expert opinion of PhDr. P. Pečinková, CSc. is attached: “Among the events that influence the cycle of everyday life, Christmas occupies the most important position and thus it is depicted so expressively in Lada’s work. Carolling servants were one of Josef Lada’s favourite Christmas subjects, to which he returned repeatedly. [...].”