[Upper Torso of Young Male Nude, Holding Long White Rod and Posed behind Large, Dark, Circular Forms]

Frantisek Drtikol

1920s · Carbon print · Photographs

Drtikol made his living producing photographic portraits of prominent public figures in what was then Czechoslovakia but earned his reputation as an avant-garde artist through his inventive photographic studies of nudes, with figures posed amid geometric forms. Here, the flexibility of the man’s torso and outstretched arm contrasts with the unyielding rod and circular props. Inspired in part by Italian Futurism and Cubism, Drtikol incorporated dramatic lighting, elements of modern dance, and Art Deco details to create his own dynamic style.

Artist

Frantisek Drtikol

Date

1920s

Medium

Carbon print

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987