oil on canvas, 60,2 × 61,8 cm, frame, signed. bottom left M. Benka
Professionally restored.
The early work of the famous Slovak painter Martin Benka is under the strong influence of the Prague landscape school led by the studio of Julio Mařák.
In the period before the war, i.e. before 1914, Benka was a student of Alois Kalvoda's studio in Vinohrady and a friend of his family. Kalvoda considered him next to Otakar Hůrka to be the most diligent student who has considerable potential for qualitative growth. After all, this is evidenced by the often beautifully composed and colorfully suggestive cartons and canvases, mostly of the medium so-called French format, to which we also include the bold piece assessed here.
PhDr. Michael Zachař.
Image of a foothill village, work by Martin Benka.
Oil painting on canvas made by the alla prima method. The backing is a linen canvas with a visible composition of warp and weft. The knotty nature of the fabric with prominent vertical bands is reminiscent of work on a smaller loom, and not machine production. Also, the relatively weak layer of chalky chalk indicates the author's preparation of the background for the painting. The actual work is done with great sovereignty without additional proofreading. The composition of colored surfaces is laid out in a clear plan with a sense for the polarity of cold and warm tones, which creates an illusory space under the mountain scenery. The painting itself, in its execution, can still be an academic study under the influence of Mařák's landscape school. The elaboration of the painting into lightly thrown details is a tribute to the masters of the late nineteenth century. The signature is an integral part of the painting and is made in a dark blue tone, identical to the color of the painting itself. From a technological point of view, the condition of both the painting and the canvas is satisfactory. In the past, the image was professionally cleaned. The framing of the picture is most likely also original according to the morphology and character of the chalk modeling with fake gilding.
Libor Jaroš - restorer
