Karel Svoboda

KAREL SVOBODA (Plexiglas, 1824 - Vienna, 1870)
"Menipo", Copy of DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ (Seville, 1599-1660)
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Signed in the lower left corner.
It has three patches on the back. Some faults in the golden frame.
Measurements: 180 x 94 cm; 194 x 109 cm (frame).

Excellent copy of the "Menipo" by Velázquez (Museo del Prado); Karel Svoboda was a renowned painter who became famous for his virtuosity. His ability to delve into the genius of Velázquez is proof of his worth. Velázquez portrays Menipo as a thinker who defies social norms and pretensions. His humble appearance contrasts with the sharpness of his mind and his ability to criticize and satirize society. The psychological characterization and the rendering of the garments, with their coarse textures, are impeccable. Menippus of Gadara was a 3rd century B.C. Greek cynic philosopher known for his biting satire and his criticism of pretentiousness and hypocrisy. As a cynic, Menippus despised social conventions and material concerns, promoting a simple and austere life.

Karel Svoboda was a Czech-Austrian painter, mainly of historical scenes, noted for the precision of their details. He worked in Prague and Vienna. He was orphaned at an early age and went to live with his uncle Václav, who was a teacher at the Gymnasium in Prague. Under his tutelage, Karel learned philosophy and drawing. His talent caught the attention of Count Franz von Thun, who helped him enter the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied with Christian Ruben. His painting of the second Defenestration of Prague was much admired and led the writer Ljudevit Gaj to invite him to Zagreb, where he lived for several months painting local characters and scenes from the history of Illyria. In the same year he married the daughter of the composer Alois Jelen and, in 1851, moved with her to Vienna. Despite the move, he accepted a commission to paint historical murals in the Summer Palace of Queen Anne (Le Belvédère), back in Prague. In the following years he carried out several important commissions, among them the posters for the 500th anniversary of Vienna in 1865. He also worked as a drawing teacher at the Schottenfeld Gymnasium (Neubau) and made illustrations for several poetry books, among them the "Rukopis Královédvorský" (Königinhofer Handschrift).