Page 50 - Studio International - April 1966

Rembrandt Bugatti This judgement also applies to the two artists whose
Secretary bird work is to be seen at the PICCADILLY GALLERY—Rem-
Height 13 1/2 in.
Piccadilly Gallery brandt Bugatti and Kubin. Rembrandt Bugatti was the
elder brother of the famous car-maker. He was born in
1885, and committed suicide at the age of 31. A sculptor
of birds and animals, his work much resembles that of the
French animaliers such as Mêne. But his observation is
firmer, and (despite the evidence offered by his tragic
end) his temperament was evidently less excitable. The
romantic afflatus is replaced in these small bronzes by a
certain detachment. The creatures concerned—a secre-
tary bird, for instance—are brilliantly observed, but not
dramatized in any way. This is a somewhat unambitious
kind of art; it offers no point of growth to other artists.
But it succeeds within its own narrow terms. Kubin is
more uneven—but perhaps more fertile. A Bohemian by
birth, and the friend of Kafka, his early drawings anti-
cipate surrealism. The images rise up out of a strange
darkling twilight. Sometimes they recall such predeces-
sors as Fuseli, sometimes we see in them quite clearly the
Art Nouveau influence which was then so powerful in
Central Europe. Later, Kubin became less interesting,
lapsing into a mild expressionism. Not one of these draw-
ings has the force which we find in the stories of Kafka

Kubin
Polar bear Lady with wig
8 x 8 in. x 5 in.
Piccadilly Gallery Piccadilly Gallery
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