Program. Paris, 1912. (recto and verso)

SZYK, Arthur. Program, with sketches on verso. (Paris, 1912). Original pen, ink, and pencil on paper. Sheet and image size:  12 5/8″ x 9 5/8″.  Very Good condition.

Szyk’s design for a Russian Program demonstrates the young artist’s keen design sensibilities. Created using a brush and ink, the bold black lines of the heavily inked word “Program”, the blades of grass and the swirling lines in the sky create a balanced, graphically pleasing image.

Formally, it echoes the posters that the famed artist Toulouse-Lautrec created in Paris at the turn of the century for cabaret venues such as the Moulin Rouge. Thematically, however, the work could not be more different. In Szyk’s sketch, a man sits on horseback amid roiling clouds and a flock of birds. He stares out into the landscape, alert and attentive. His costume is heavily ornamented, with an elaborate curved scabbard, embroidered tunic, pointed boots, and a fur-trimmed cap. The star and crescent on his sleeve indicate that he may be Muslim, but it is hard to identify a more distinct nationality based on information in the drawing.

The mystery of the work’s intended use, however, is revealed by a thorough examination of other sketches of the period. Szyk often used scraps of paper — graph paper, flyers, invitations, and the like — as makeshift drawing material. He executed one sketch on an invitation to an exhibition of Russian Painters and Sculptors in Paris (at the Galerie Devambez, June 3, 1912), which suggests that Szyk was active in local Russian expatriate life. It is likely that the Program was intended for a similar exhibition of artists.

On the verso, Szyk sketches two distinct scenes. The top scene comprises a loosely rendered pencil sketch of soldiers marching in formation. They appear to be practicing drills, with the officers standing in the rear as the lower ranking soldiers march away in a tidy line before them.

In the bottom scene, Szyk experiments with designs for playing cards. He sketches out four potential cards along the top, all showcasing grizzly looking soldiers with grim countenances. Along the bottom he sketches out five more heads wearing distinctive hats and helmets, all of which appear to be military leaders of some sort.

These sketches illustrate Szyk’s boundless energy and creativity — he constantly played with new ideas and projects in his sketchbooks, remnants of which can be seen here.

Literature: Essay by Tamara Poniatowska, Ader Auctions, Catalogue, Paris, 18 November 2009.