In an upcoming auction at Topičově salónu on October 10th, a unique drawing by the renowned artist Alphonse Mucha will be up for bidding. Titled “Girl with a Flower” and dating back to 1929, this rare piece is expected to generate tremendous excitement and interest. “The opportunity to acquire his work is scarce. Most of his paintings and drawings are part of private collections and only appear on the market exceptionally,” said Jiří Rybář, owner of Art Consulting auction house, in an exclusive interview.
Rybář highlighted the global popularity of Mucha’s artwork in his home country of the Czech Republic and worldwide. Posters, drawings, and paintings by Alphonse Mucha are admired by people all over the planet. “Alfons Mucha possessed extraordinary talent, had a wide range in the field of visual arts, and became famous as a pioneer of Art Nouveau even during his lifetime. He is still very popular in France, beloved by the Japanese, and highly regarded here in the Czech Republic. I remember the buzz caused at our auction in 2007 when the drawing ‘Rudolf II and Tycho de Brahe’ sold for 708,000 Czech crowns, triple its starting price,” Rybář shared with our reporters.
The colorful pastel drawing “Girl with a Flower” from 1929 will enter the auction with a starting price of 650,000 Czech crowns. It was previously part of the collection of Augustin Mlčoch, a doctor, collector, and philatelist from Kroměříž during the First Czechoslovak Republic.
Breaking Records
The October auction at Topičově salónu will also feature other notable names, including František Kupka and Emil Filla.
One of the most highly anticipated lots is the painting “Gobelin II (Fuga II)” by František Muzika from 1962, with a starting price of 7,500,000 Czech crowns. Another artwork to be auctioned for the same amount is Emil Filla’s “Tray with Fruit and Mandolin (Still Life with Hearts)” from 1930.
A total of 197 items will be presented at the auction, including works by Josef Lady, František Drtikol, Josef Šíma, Jan Bauch, Antonín Procházka, and more.
The event on October 10th and November 12th will conclude this year’s auction season for the auction house. Jiří Rybář observed that the development of inflation strongly influenced the course of the season. “This fact undoubtedly affected the auction. The number of people who view investment in fine art as a suitable way to preserve their wealth continues to grow. We witnessed this during the March auction, where 179 paintings were sold for 90.93 million Czech crowns. This amount accounted for nearly fifty percent of the auction house’s turnover in the previous year. It was a clear signal. The trend was further confirmed during the June auction, which saw the establishment of several new records,” Rybář concluded in his interview.