Lot 356 Dα

Emil Orlik is known primarily for his graphic oeuvre: in terms of the public's perception of the artist, his rich body of work as a painter has receded into relative obscurity. Shortly after the turn of the century, the influence of Paul Cézanne becomes apparent in his still lifes. Orlik intensively explored that artist's work after travelling to Paris in 1903, and his fascination with Cézanne's compositions remains noticeable in our late still life of fruit. In a monumental horizontal format, Orlik creates a harmonic balance in terms of pictorial structure and the use of colour. In a skilful depiction of the various materials, he establishes contrast by juxtaposing the blueish violet tone underlying the drapery, the poppies and the tablecloth with the pure white of the bowl and the luminous orange and green tones of the fruit.