Path along the Forest

The composition of this painting, with its simple yet striking motif of a path winding along the edge of a forest, offers a unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of an artist who, although only recently came of age, had already reached full artistic maturity. In the painterly refined execution, poised on the very boundary between realism and impressionism, we can observe an altogether remarkable example of the work of one of the most gifted pupils of Mařák’s landscape studio at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts. Lebeda studied there for six years under the influence of Julius Mařák, František Kaván, Antonín Slavíček, and others, up until 1897, when Path along the Forest was created. At that time, Lebeda was already recognised as an independent painter, which, among other things, led Professor Mařák to send him abroad to gain further experience. In the same year, he also travelled again with the school studio to Okoř and Zákolany, and possibly to South Bohemia, from where he may have drawn inspiration for the present work. It stands as an excellent example of the development of his artistic manner and the brightening of his palette.

This painting is a significant demonstration that 1897 marked a turning point in Lebeda’s oeuvre, when his academic studies – completed with distinction – and the mastery he acquired there were transformed into a perfect ability to render the landscape faithfully. At only twenty years of age, he presents himself here as a fully formed artist with the potential to become a leading figure in modern Czech landscape painting. The value of the work is further confirmed by its publication and reproduction in the artist’s most recent monograph (V. Hulíková: Otakar Lebeda, 1877–1901, Prague 2009, cat. No. 107) and presentation at the related exhibition at the National Gallery in Prague (Waldstein Riding School, 26 June 2009 – 24 January 2010). It has been assessed in consultation with Prof. J. Zemina and Mgr. M. Dospěl, PhD. An expert opinion of Mgr. P. Kubík is attached.