Dostoevsky Reader

The painting Reader of Dostoevsky is an iconic work of Czech expressionism. Emil Filla painted it under the influence of Edvard Munch whose exhibition he saw in Prague in 1905. This painting captures the feeling of hopelessness, so typical of the early 20th century – the values of the old world such as tradition and faith (depicted symbolically by the crucifix on the wall) were replaced with modern values (originality, progress, etc.) which aroused uncertainty and fear in many people. The figure of the reader gives an exhausted, collapsed impression, not providing any deliverance even in art – in the form of Dostoevsky’s novel.