Jan Matulka
American, born Czechoslovakia, 1890 - 1972Two Nudes, ca. 1923
Not on view
Oil on canvas
Dimensions36 × 27 1/2 in.
Gift of the Estate of Jan Matulka, 2016.4
In this work Jan Matulka is again using the female figure as his muse to experiment with painting. Inspired by Fauvism, he has outlined the curves of the figures with bright colors. Considered the first avant-garde movement, Fauve artists used bold colors and drastic brushstrokes in their artworks as a way to break away from conventional painting methods. The artist has used specifically placed brushstrokes to create drastic angles and curves of the bodies. Both of the figures' faces have sharp, defined features, referencing the African tribal masks Matulka studied during his time in Paris.
