Portrait study of Jiří Karásek of Lvovice

The Polish painter and draughtsman of Czech origin Wlastimil Hofman created portraits of his long-time friend, Jiří Karásek of Lvovice, many times. The broad array of these portraits show how Karásek's appearance changed over three decades, while a series of sketches, created over a shorter period, capture the fluidity of his persona. For example, he is shown as a protean figure in a set of three pen-and-ink drawings from 3 June 1946; from one image to the next, Karásek's face changes from male to female by becoming noticeably rounder – an effect achieved by means of a denser shading. In keeping with the poet's self-stylization, the drawings thus manifest his androgyny, which he himself saw as a perfect union of creative abilities (intellect) attributed to men on the one hand, and (female) sensitivity on the other.

Subject: Others
Author: Hofman, Wlastimil
Title: Portrait study of Jiří Karásek of Lvovice
Date: 1946
Technique: pen and ink on paper
Dimensions: 28,8 × 21 cm
Origin: Karásek Gallery Collection
Licence: Free license

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