Ernest Špitz — Singer

Ernest Špitz’s initial artistic efforts were inspired by the early works of Pablo Picasso and Paul Cézanne. In the 1950s, he managed to break away from social realism and the compulsory enthusiasm of the decade and focused on more civil work and even the depiction of human existential crises. His core interests were figural drawing, painting and printmaking which included portrait studies, nudes and genre figural motives. He also depicted natural and urban landscapes, still lifes and scenes from theatres and circuses. 

The painting in Nitra Gallery’s collection belongs to a free cycle depicting classical music concerts or musicians playing classical instruments. Here, Špitz painted a singer performing dressed in a red robe and long black gloves. Her left hand is holding the score while her right palm seems to have disappeared in the background of the image and her hair blends in with the concert piano outlined behind her. The left part of the image hints at the presence of an accompanying piano player. We can find the painting’s preparatory studies in the collections of two Slovak galleries: the Ján Koniarek Gallery in Trnava (under the inventory number of G 2836: Singer, 1953 – 1957, dry pastel on paper, 49 x 30 cm) and the Liptov Gallery of Peter Michal Bohúň in Liptovský Mikuláš (under the inventory number of K 741: Singer Study, 1950, ink on paper, 21 x 14,5 cm). In the case of our painting, its rear side is very interesting as well. When we turn it around and position it upside down, we see an unfinished portrait of a woman/a girl. LINK It would seem the artist was short on funds and could not afford expensive painting canvas which is why he recycled the unfinished painting’s cardboard for the singer. Or was it painted on the rear side intentionally? 

Omar Mirza
February 2021