charcoal drawing, paper, 185 × 129 mm

purchased in 2022 with support from the Czech Republic Ministry of Culture

Although Bedřich Feigl was a prominent figure who contributed to the birth, support, and promotion of Czech modern art, he did not leave such a strong mark in art history as, for example, Emil Filla or Bohumil Kubišta. Nevertheless, GVUO does not forget his name. The gallery’s collection includes twenty-three works by this Jewish artist. Aside from two paintings, the majority are colored drawings—Feigl’s area of great expertise. The pencil-drawn portrait sketch of Alois Sprušil, acquired in 2022, is already the second such work in the collection. The first, a later piece, dates to 1938. GVUO therefore did not hesitate to purchase this acquisition. Alois Sprušil is closely linked with the early history of the Ostrava gallery. During his two-decade tenure, he significantly expanded the institution’s original collection. During World War II, he saved the collection from destruction or looting by having it transferred to a wooden church in Kunčice pod Ondřejníkem.

Translation created with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT).