brand
Revere Auctions
Live Auction

Revere Auctions Fine Art Evening Sale

Wed, Mar 20, 2024 08:00PM EDT
Lot 35

Jan Matulka "Still Life w/ Ceramic Bird" Painting

Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $25
$300 $50
$1,000 $100
$3,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
$500,000 $25,000
$1,000,000 $50,000
$10,000,000 $100,000
Jan Matulka (Czech/American, 1890-1972). Oil on canvas painting titled "Still Life with Ceramic Bird" depicting a small table with two shells, a ceramic bird form vessel, and a lamp, ca. 1930. Signed along the lower right.

Provenance: Alexander Raydon Gallery, New York; Private Collection, United States; Artnet, June 11, 2013, New York; Private Minnesota Collection.

Exhibition: Collective Council Gallery, New York, May-December 2013.

Lot Essay:
Jan Matulka was born in a small town in South Bohemia. While he took his first art classes in Prague, his family soon emigrated to New York City. He attended classes at the National Academy of Design and, upon his graduation, won a Joseph Pulitzer Traveling Scholarship. It was with this money that he traveled back to Europe, visiting Paris in 1919. He rented a studio and returned there throughout the 1920s. He began a long teaching career in 1925 at the Art Students League. Throughout his life, he taught artists such as Dorothy Dehner, Francis Criss, Brugoyne Diller, Irene Rice Pereira, David Smith, Jacob Burck, Esther Shemitz, and many more.

Matulka painted continuously and often in differing styles depending on the time of day. He was known to create abstract works in the morning and end the day with landscapes. He joined the Public Works of Art Project as well as the Federal Art Project, painting murals.

Many of his works were influenced by the American Southwest. In his travels there, he frequented Native American dances and studied the art, ceremonies, and customs of the Pueblo tribes. He was drawn by the romanticized - and often exoticized - depiction of Native Americans during this time. This influence is visible in the present lot with the unique ceramic bird displayed in the still life.

As Matulka aged he withdrew more and more from society, more so as his health failed. Throughout the latter part of his life, his works were subject to much acclaim when they were exhibited. During his life, he exhibited frequently at the Frank K. M. Rehn Gallery in New York. His posthumous credits include, among others, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the British Museum, and the Guggenheim.

Sight; height: 35 1/2 in x width: 29 1/2 in. Framed; height: 42 in x width: 36 in.

Condition

Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.

Available payment options

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Amex
  • Diners
  • Discover
  • JCB
  • Union Pay
PayPal

Payment & Shipping

PAYMENT

Revere Auctions accepts wire transfers, checks (personal or business check in US dollars certified by a US bank, a cashier’s/banker’s check drawn on a US bank or US money order), cash (US currency not to exceed $10,000 in a single or multiple related payments). Visa, Discover, American Express or MasterCard may be used and are subject to a 3.0% convenience fee and are limited to purchases of $5,000.00 (total). Credit Card payments for jewelry and gold are NOT accepted. The purchaser’s obligation to pay immediately the full purchase price is absolute and unconditional and is not subject to any defenses, setoffs or counterclaims of any kind whatsoever. Revere Auctions is not obligated to release a lot to the purchaser until title to the lot has passed. The purchaser agrees to pay Revere Auctions handling charge of $30 for any check dishonored by the drawee.

SHIPPING

Revere Auctions does NOT offer in-house shipping. As a convenience to the Buyer, Revere Auctions will make a referral for packing and shipping. This is at the request, expense, and risk of the Buyer, and Revere Auctions assumes no responsibility for the items or the timing of delivery. Insurance for in transit items is the responsibility of the buyer. The buyer must reach out to a shipping company to arrange shipping.
The buyer must fill out the Shipping Release Form in order for their items to be released. This is to ensure that the won item(s) are given to the proper shipping company and reach their final destination safely. This form can be found here.

Here is a list of our preferred shippers:
UPS Store #2105
Contact: Ryan Wilson
Email: store2105@theupsstore.com
Phone: 651-642-5972

UPS Store #2158
Contact: Randy Jessup
email: store2158@theupsstore.com
phone: 651-635-0636

UPS Store #5396
Contact: Ivory Smith
Email: store5396@theupsstore.com
Phone: 612-332-4117

Mail Pack Ship & Print
Contact: Tim Tuel
email: info@mailpackshipprint.com
phone: 952-432-4880

Museum Services Inc
For shipping estimate please complete the following link:
http://museumservices.org/revere