Small grotesque

Jaroslav Ježek, Carlsbad Porcelain, state enterprise, Lessau factory,

Czech Republic, 1958

Glazed white porcelain, printed decoration.

H: 14 cm

Markings: “L”, “Karlovarský porcelán” in green

UMP 17522

The highest honours for Jaroslav Ježek’s designs were bestowed at Expo 58 in Brussels, where the state-owned Carlsbad Porcelain factory received the Grand Prix for the collection exhibited there. Small Grotesque, in which the artist combined humorous hyperbole with the absurd, also dates from this period. The sculpture is marked by its asymmetry, gracefully curved lines, and material imbalance, elements characteristic for the modern style known in Czechoslovakia as the “Brussels Style”. (lmp)