Vaclav Vytlacil (American, 1892-1984), Mexican with Fighting Game-Cock

Acrylic and tempera on paper, 1962, signed and dated at lower right, retaining artist's inscribed label to verso, float mounted on coarsely woven fabric and framed under acetate.

Sheet size 30 x 21 1/4 in.; Frame dimensions 34 1/2 x 26 1/2 in.

Vaclav Vytlacil was an influential American modernist painter and educator, renowned for his role in shaping 20th-century American art. Born in New York to Czech immigrant parents, Vytlacil studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League of New York before furthering his education at the Royal Academy in Munich under Hans Hofmann. His early exposure to European modernism profoundly influenced his artistic approach, merging elements of Cubism, Fauvism, and abstraction.
As a painter, Vytlacil's work often featured bold colors, dynamic compositions, and an emphasis on the emotive power of form. In addition to his artistic contributions, he was a pivotal teacher, serving on the faculty of the Art Students League for decades, where he mentored several prominent artists, including Abstract Expressionist pioneers like Willem de Kooning and Louise Bourgeois. His work is held in significant collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, underscoring his lasting impact on the modern art movement.

Some cockling to sheet; surface grime to fabric backing; some light scratching to acetate cover. Not examined out of the frame.