oil on canvas, 68 x 45 cm, signed at the bottom left, in black, "R. AUER. 1932."

Research information

The work was exhibited at the solo exhibition "Prof. Robert Auer", 15.X.-31.X.1933., and catalogued and reproduced in the accompanying exhibition catalogue under the title "First Appearance", cat. no. 24.

Rober Auer (Zagreb, 1873 - Zagreb, 1952) was a Croatian painter and one of the most prominent representatives of the Zagreb Secession. He was educated in Zagreb, Vienna and Munich. After returning to Zagreb with his wife, the painter Leopoldina Auer-Schmidt, in 1897 he opened a private art school. He was one of the founders of the Society of Croatian Artists, he worked within the framework of Lada, taught at the Craft School, and later at the Zagreb Academy of Arts. He exhibited at numerous domestic and international exhibitions, including those in Munich, Budapest, Paris, and Vienna. Auer's creativity was shaped by the influence of Munich academism, symbolism, and secession. He is best known for his portraits, female nudes, allegorical and symbolist compositions, and he also painted still lifes, landscapes, church paintings and decorative panels. His paintings are characterized by solid drawing, refined coloring, decorativeness, and emphasized sensuality, especially in depictions of the female body. In his earlier works, he reached for ancient, symbolist, and secessionist motifs, while later, with freer strokes and colored lighting, he shaped voluptuous female nudes. The typical Auer motif - a female nude - in an intimate, salon interior, appears in the depicted oil painting. Auer does not insist on sharp contour; instead, the forms are soft and slightly melted, which contributes to the dreaminess of the depiction. The subdued color palette further emphasizes the physicality of the playful female figure. Sensuality, decorativeness, and soft body modeling are characteristic of Auer's female nudes.

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