(Prostějov 1886–1915)
Paris, a View of Porte Saint-Martin and the Boulevard Saint-Martin, signed Safarik, oil on canvas, 89 x 130 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private Collection, Austria.

A certificate issued by PhDr. Miroslav Macik, Prostějov, 24 March 2024 is available upon request.

Jan Šafařík enrolled at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts in 1903. In his early artistic period, he mainly focussed on depicting special nooks and crannies of the city of Prague and also gained fame through the distribution of his paintings in postcards and magazines. In 1907, the young artist was sent to Bosnia, where he deserted the following year and travelled to Paris. He settled there in 1909, where he initially found it difficult to establish himself in the Parisian art scene. Nevertheless, he quickly succeeded in gaining public recognition, partly thanks to his artistic talent and partly thanks to the good connections he made there. Between 1909 and 1914, he repeatedly exhibited his works at the Paris Salon. The paintings from his Parisian period are still regarded as the most interesting in his oeuvre due to their modern and dynamic style.
The present lot was painted during this period and depicts a lively scene on the Boulevard Saint-Martin. It is a street scene full of elegance, whose characteristics and selected surroundings perfectly correspond to the trends of contemporary French painting. At the same time, the delicate pastel tones and the lightness of the overall depiction illustrate his good knowledge of watercolour and gouache. The mpression of the scene is reminiscent of a photographic snapshot, with the women strolling along the street or lingering to take a look in the shop windows.