Works that the artist himself valued the most: Unique pieces from Josef Liesler's studio on the market for the first time

Perhaps every artist has a few works in their studio that they value more than others for various reasons – this is not the case with the important Czech painter and illustrator Josef Liesler. These truly extraordinary works, which have been stored in his studio until now, will appear on the auction market for the first time in May thanks to the establishment of a long-term collaboration between the author's family and the KODL Gallery.

The presentation of Liesler's first object, which the Czech auction market has recorded since 2008, namely the Sedmi Dudlíkové Královny Punkáčů (1992), is absolutely rare. The model for this eccentric portrait is probably the woman immortalized in his famous and richly reproduced painting Shock in the Louvre. It is an extraordinary example of the author's versatility and unique fantastic aesthetics, for which he is valued not only in the domestic environment.

Honorary place on the stand in the middle of Liesler's studio was occupied by the painting Jak se vám líbím, když se šklebím (1985), which he never wanted to sell despite persistent interest from collectors. The stage self-portrait captures the artist in bizarre grimaces and disguises, reflecting his immense fondness for the theater. The uniqueness and collector's value of this work is enhanced by its reproduction, among other things, on the title page of the publication Adié Jolie (Josef Liesler: Adié Jolie, Prague 2000), which once again demonstrates how much the author valued the painting. In 2020, this Liesler favorite even graced Czech postage stamps.

An earlier, but at the same time, one of the author's most progressive canvases is Ona a její poslední oběti (1969), in which the artist plays with cubistic morphology and ornamental flat abbreviations. The advancement of this work lies in its alternate title given in parentheses on the back: Aidska. Liesler thus boldly touches on an issue that was far from being a topic in Czechoslovakia at the time, with his characteristic exaggeration.

The artist's work from the 1960s, rarely seen on the market, is represented by the oil Artisté (1966–1967), which stands out both for its unconventional format and its very impressive processing. The extremely attractive painting covered in blue color with an orange-yellow accent moves on the border between abstraction and reality, but one can safely recognize in it the elemental atmosphere of an unrestrained variety show.

The aforementioned works, whose high collectible and artistic value cannot be doubted, will be available for viewing at the pre-auction exhibition of the KODL Gallery, which will be open every day from May 1 to 27, 2023. Their auction will take place on May 28 as part of the 89th auction in the Palace Žofín and simultaneously on the Artslimit auction portal.