Best Wishes of the Season, Ladislav Sutnar: New York, 5 AM, c. 1950 [Self-published]

Best Wishes of the Season, Sutnar: New York, 5 AM, c. 1950. Self-published, New York City, USA. 9.5 x 12. The single-sided offset lithograph print is scored (but never folded) along the left-hand side where Sutnar would have left remarks and signed his name. Signed in stone “Sutnar” on the painting. Printed in an unknown edition and never sold publicly.

This self-published print and its’ painting appears to be unrecorded in English published volumes on Sutnar. Our research led us to several excellent paragraphs that discuss his early New York City paintings. “The first known-painting from Sutnar’s U.S. period is a composition of vertical geometric forms inspired by the Manhattan cityscape of the Radio City neighborhood of 47th street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The motif links back to Sutnar’s painting of the 1920’s and 1930’s and refers not only to Sutnar himself but to Europe in general. The blue, white and red planes dovetail almost ornamentally, much like in the sculpture of Wotruba or Chillida, and in the painting compositions of Schiele.” (Janákova, 2003, pp. 355)

Sutnar experienced the pressure of working in America and felt burnt out, disappointed, and had trouble coping. Situated in this context, he could have made this painting: “What happens here is that you must fight every day again and again for everything you had achieved. If such a race is your cup of tea, if you can overcome all obstacles with rosy optimism, and if you have nerves for all this, then it's all a pretty interesting mess. But the worst thing is when the pink vapors in your head fizzle out. And that’s what happened to me. In recent years I have lived from one day to another, with no big plans, just waiting for some special push that would bring me back into circulation. The push did not come, but in January I lay down in bed and got up sometime in May, for some two hours only (I started painting at night, well into the early hours - but don't tell my doctor).” (Janákova, 2003, pp. 336)

A fine, uncirculated original offset lithograph by Ladislav Sutnar. This rare print is included in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (Object No. 988.1999).