Sketch from the Street

As recalled by the artist’s daughter, he always painted based on reality: he had a small cabinet holding a stretched canvas and paints, walked around the city and, standing, painted staffage for the particular painting. His small format Sketch from the Street features a cluster of people in an alley supported by the typical strainer arch - a roof-covered walk-under arch between two houses. Bartoněk used a similar coulisse in his large sized canvas Dustmen (presently in a private collection). He may have drawn inspiration from Žatecká Street, situated at the boundary with the Jewish Town, which ended at Platnéřská Street by a strainer arch.