Auction 84th, Lot 67 The small but captivating work of high gallery quality quite confidently represents in all respects the extraordinarily progressive development of Emil Filla, who has, without doubt, gained a place in the context of world art. This important, interwar stage of the artist's work, which Vincenc Kramář aptly described as the period of "second cubism", is one of Filla's most prolific and happiest periods, in which he felt relaxed and could fully give way to his unbridled energy and desire to experiment. Upon careful observation of the painting it turns out that the author's still lifes are, despite their established iconography, a highly thought-out artistic gesture. In the mid-1920's, creative organic lines became the main constructive element in his paintings instead of sharply cut cubic shapes. The relaxing of shapes is also connected with more vivid work with coloured paste and a freer use of space. Here, the artist placed traditional objects side by side in an extremely sophisticated composition. The Still Life with a Letter and a Rose is exceptional in its seemingly simple content, which is however all the more emotional because it depicts an envelope addressed directly to Filla, or perhaps rather to both spouses, and a red rose. Both objects are set in a geometric framework that demonstrates Filla's advanced understanding of abstraction. In spite of its small format the work is extremely impressive and has a great appeal for collectors. It absolutely accurately represents the idea of a modern picture, as developed in the 1920's by the progressive wing of the Mánes Artists Union. It was probably exhibited in 1925 in the Municipal House at the Mánes Artists Union Member Exhibition under number 65 and under the name Rose. The authenticity of the work was verified by the Filla Foundation and the painting will be listed in the list of works prepared by prof. V. Lahoda, CSc. Assesed during consultations by prof. J. Zemina and PhDr. R. Michalová, PhD. From the attached expertise by PhDr. K. Srp: "[...] A small picture of a cubist still life with a rose, which has all the features of paintings from the period before 1914, when Czech artists were coming to terms with cubism. It depicts a rose in a vase, located inside penetrating geometric sections, clearly dividing an unbroken background. This painting is particularly appealing to admirers of Filla's work: it shows how the ideas he developed before the war remained alive in him, how he returned to them after many other artistic experiences, how he re-evaluated them and gave them a new form. The painting also points to the author's wide stylistic range at the time, marked by a short-term return to realism. [...] “.