References

Transferred from the monograph: Vinko Zlamalik, Bela Čikoš Sesija / pioneer of symbolism in Croatia, JAZU, Zagreb, 1984.

pencil on paper, 43 x 32 cm, signed and dated in the middle right, in pencil, "Csikos X/1888."

Čikoš or Csikos, as the painter signed his works, painted his self-portrait in Vienna in his second year of painting studies that began in 1887 at the Academy for Fine Arts. The then Academy's curriculum included a provision that each candidate must undergo systematic training in a general painting school (Allgemeine Malerschule) which lasted three years. Only after mastering the basics, only talented students could continue their studies in specialized classes for historical, landscape or animalistic painting. Čikoš, of course, belonged to those talented for painting, so as a mature young man with twenty-six years of life - after three years of feverish work, practice, and gaining precision in observation, and even reproducing what he saw - he continued his studies in a specialty for historical painting. He graduated in 1891 in the class of Professor Leopold Karl Müller. In this self-portrait, the external contour of the volume is fixed with a clean outline, and full plasticity of the figure, bust, and clothing he wears is achieved by precisely adding slight whites to the most prominent parts of the face. In addition, the density of lines expressed here, careful shading and variation of the intensity of shading clearly indicate Čikoš's exceptional drawing skill, his impeccable modeling and the power of individual characterization which far exceed the quality level of the academic drawings of then students of the Vienna Academy. That Čikoš was counted among the most prominent students of his generation at the Vienna Academy and that he excelled with his artistic achievements is also confirmed by the Golden Füger Medal he received in 1891 at the exhibition of student works for the drawing composition "General Flood" and the oil painting "The Old Man", today in the permanent exhibition of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb. After finishing his studies, Čikoš returned to Zagreb in 1892, where he immediately joined the masters of Croatian fine arts modern (Vlaho Bukovac and Mate C. Medović) in painting the walls of the upper town palace of the Department for Worship and Teaching (today's Croatian Institute for History). The commissioner of the artistic renovation of the palace was personally the head of the Department Izidor Kršnjavi who when it comes to Čikoš did not stop at this first order, but also arranged for the painter a multi-month study stay in Italy after which followed the most fruitful period of Čikoš's creativity which since then is embodied more by painting than by drawing features. BRP

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