Study of Men in Eastern European Folk Costume. Lodz, 1920s?

SZYK, Arthur. Study of Men in Eastern European Folk Costume. (Lodz, 1920s?) Pencil and colored pencil on paper. Sheet size: 9 3/4″ x 10 3/4″. Image size: 9 1/2″ x 9 3/4″. Very Good condition.

This work appears in a sketchbook with many other sketched illustrations of costume designs for kings, queens, peasants and clergy. In this particular image, Szyk portrays two men in Slavic costume, as well as a close-up study of a head in the upper left corner. These images communicate Szyk’s love of costume design, a subject that intrigued him throughout his career. He renders these men with energetic, confident pencil lines, paying attention to the particulars of their individual outfits. The man on the left wears a more lavish costume, which Szyk has accented with colored pencil to indicate the stripes on his trousers and the embroidered embellishments on his tunic and shirtsleeves. The man on the right appears to wear a lower-class garment, with a simple shirt, belt and trousers, which are patched at the knee. Both men sport tilted fur caps and mid-length haircuts. Szyk experiments with both character and costume in these sketches, taking care that the people’s faces should reflect the clothes they wear — as is evident in several of the sketches from this collection.

Provenance: Alexandra Szyk Bracie, daughter of Arthur Szyk.