A rare woodcut by František Kupka from his important 1926 portfolio Quatre histoires de blanc et noir (Four Stories of White and Black). This is Plate No. 13, with the number “13” marked in pencil to the right beneath the printed area. The cycle represents one of Kupka’s key graphic series, in which the artist focused on the autonomous language of lines and forms and the gradual transition from natural shapes towards abstraction. In this composition Kupka employs a strongly vertical arrangement and a system of long, angular lines creating an impression of layers, spatial depth and movement. More delicate geometrically articulated structures appear in the centre of the composition, contrasting with the more monumental linear framework. The reduction of visual language to line, rhythm and structure is characteristic of Kupka’s exploration of the possibilities of non-figurative art. The individual graphic sheets of the cycle were executed as woodcuts on paper. Kupka systematically developed relationships between line, plane, rhythm and movement, creating one of the major graphic achievements of his abstract oeuvre. František Kupka is regarded as one of the pioneers of international abstract art. He was born in Opočno in 1871 and died in Puteaux near Paris in 1957. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and later in Vienna and lived predominantly in France from 1896. From his figurative and Symbolist beginnings he gradually developed an autonomous abstract art based on colour, rhythm, movement and geometric relationships. The work is mounted, glazed and framed. Its condition is very good, consistent with its age. CURATOR’S TIP: An excellent opportunity to acquire an original graphic work by František Kupka from one of the most important cycles of his abstract oeuvre. Plate No. 13 clearly demonstrates Kupka’s work with line, rhythm and movement and his ability to create an exceptionally dynamic composition using only black-and-white means. A major advantage of the lot is the precise identification of the individual plate and its association with the important 1926 cycle. It is a highly attractive catalogue entry for collectors of Kupka as well as Czech modern art. FOR INVESTORS AND COLLECTORS: František Kupka belongs to the small group of Czech artists of exceptional international significance, and his position as one of the pioneers of abstract art is firmly established in the history of international modernism. Original graphic works offer a more accessible route to authentic works by the artist, while sheets belonging to important and clearly identified cycles carry particular collector significance. This work benefits from its association with the 1926 cycle Quatre histoires de blanc et noir, its precise identification as Plate No. 13 and its woodcut technique on handmade paper. These attributes support its long-term collector potential. The starting price of CZK 25,000 represents an attractively set entry point considering the artist’s international importance and the work’s association with this significant graphic cycle.