The Exile

The faces in Hlaváček’s portraits from 1897 both contrast and harmonize. They even appear to be based on the same model, perhaps the artist’s own face. The painful expression of the metamorphosing face in “The Exile” (from the series of drawings for Arnošt Procházka’s “Prostibolo duše” collection) combines with the gloomy coldness of “My Christ,” signifying a conscious detachment from society and a strained individualism. These attributes can be understood as characteristic of the modern artist, often misunderstood by contemporaries and unwilling to conform to the conventions of the time. This clash is particularly evident in the distinctive rendering of the Christ motif, which, unlike the usual depictions of the Savior, accentuates the element of separation, division, and a call to transformation.

Subject: Others
Author: Hlaváček, Karel
Title: The Exile
Date: 1897
Technique: charcoal drawing and white and pink chalk on paper
Dimensions: 27 × 24.2 cm
Origin: Karel Hlaváček fonds
Licence: Free license

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