Portrait of Jan Srdinko (Child with Apple)

František Tkadlík

František Tkadlík - Portrait of Jan Srdinko (Child with Apple)
In about 1811, Tkadlík drew portraits of the merchant Jan Srdínko’s children; the artist was living in the merchant’s House at the Sign of the Red Heart (Dům u červeného srdce) in Bartolomějská Street at the time. Of these, the only dated portrait is that of the six-year-old Josef. All three drawings have certain common features, specifically the frontal view of their faces, the accentuated contours of their mouths, and mainly their expressive focused gaze. Both boys, Josef and Jan, are portrayed with a neutral background, which, thanks to its simplicity, enhances the official appearance of the portraits. Their attire is also conceived with maximum moderation. The portrait of about eight-year-old Rozálie, now missing, is different from the other two, capturing the viewer’s attention with the young girl’s porcelain-smooth skin, the material of her fluffy dress, and the delicately drawn bouquet of flowers she is holding.
date:
measurements: height 435 mm
width 340 mm
material: paper
technique: black chalk
inventory number: K 4518
gallery collection: Collection of Prints and Drawings