Head of Pierrot (Pierrot)

Karel Myslbek devoted himself to the theme of Pierrot for many years. His endeavour to portray life’s sadness and melancholy expressed without pathos in the figure of the despondent „comedian“ culminated in Black Pierrot, a painting from 1907. The numerous preparatory drawings show the genesis of Myslbek’s treatment of the motif. The Collection of Prints and Drawings of the National Gallery Prague owns twelve of the drawings. The theme of the Black Pierrot shows a touch of French inspiration. With age, Myslbek’s Pierrot is an enfeebled, sad man. This aspect is underscored in the etching of Pierrot’s face to which Myslbek returned four years after completing the oil painting, with a greater emphasis on the realistic handling of the subject and on a socially critical tone. The print corresponds with Myslbek’s interest in social outcasts on the margins of human existence.