Letadlo 1929

Editor: This is Josef Capek's "Letadlo," painted in 1929 using acrylic on canvas. It has a whimsical, almost childlike quality, with the simplified houses and patchwork fields. How do you interpret this work, considering the time it was created? Curator: This painting feels particularly relevant when we consider the rise of technology and aviation during the interwar period, and Capek’s experience during that tumultuous time. He lived through World War I and witnessed the early development of air travel, a symbol of both progress and potential destruction. The seemingly naive style can be viewed as a form of resistance against the looming threat of another war. Does the presence of that tiny airplane feel celebratory or ominous to you? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, I saw the plane as simply part of the landscape. But now that you mention it, given Capek's later imprisonment and death in a concentration camp, the airplane could signify impending danger, contrasting with the seemingly idyllic scene. Curator: Exactly. And consider the perspective – almost as if we're children looking up at this world, both enchanted and vulnerable. The bright colours and simplified forms, characteristic of Expressionism and Fauvism, mask a deeper unease. The geometric patterns, creating a landscape of clearly demarcated parcels, can be seen as reflections of social division. Editor: It's amazing how much historical and political context is packed into what seems like a simple painting. I will never look at an expressionist landscape painting the same way. Curator: Precisely. Art often acts as a mirror reflecting not only the artist's vision, but the anxieties and aspirations of an entire era. Looking at "Letadlo" through the lens of history illuminates those hidden meanings.