Twilight on the River

František Skála is one of the most distinctive and original figures in contemporary Czech art. As a member of the Tvrdohlaví group, he came to prominence in the late 1980s. His work encompasses sculpture, painting, illustration, objects and installations, combining these disciplines with a distinctive sense of imagination and humour and an inventive use of natural and found materials. In 1991, he received the Jindřich Chalupecký Award, and two years later represented the Czech Republic at the 45th Venice Biennale, which he famously reached on foot from Prague. His major presentations also include extensive exhibitions at Galerie Rudolfinum and the National Gallery Prague.

The principal source of inspiration for Twilight on the River was Skála’s fascination with the landscape surrounding the rivers of the Congo. Rather than seeking to capture the landscape realistically, Skála depicts the Congolese rainforest as a fantastical, almost mythological realm in which tree trunks, vegetation and fauna merge into one another, assuming extraordinary forms reminiscent of mysterious apparitions. The monochromatic palette, evoking twilight, further intensifies the seemingly tranquil yet subtly unsettling atmosphere of the scene. A key compositional element is the luminous surface of the river, which draws the viewer deep into the painting while simultaneously separating the real world from the fantastical realm of the rainforest. The work brings together Skála’s fascination with nature and his first-hand experience of the journey with his distinctive imagination and his ability to discover fantastical and anthropomorphic forms in the natural world.
“The work reflects my experience of travelling along the rivers of the Congo, when at twilight the surrounding rainforest transforms into a theatre of silhouetted figures and apparitions.”

100% of the hammer price will be donated to support the Save-Elephants project, a non-profit initiative that has brought together nine leading Czech artists. During their second expedition to the Congo, which took place in February of this year, the artists drew inspiration for a unique collection comprising paintings, photographs, and an original photographic journal complemented by drawings created by members of the expedition.