Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 1971.
Signature: KÕKS 71 SV

Endel Kõks (1912-1983) had already depicted the legendary film diva Sophia Loren as part of a larger collage in the 1964 painting “The Formula of Radiation.” Now, seven years later, the actress is visually very similar in Kõks’ image but her eyes have been given a more attractive, alluring wisdom.

The lion’s share of Kõks’ work at that time was made up of abstract compositions where the artist primarily dealt with solving problems of form and color. In his letter to S. Hinnom, Kõks wrote that he placed his work in “biomorphic abstractionism, characterized by free formalism, spatiality and atmospherics (Arshile Gorky, William de Kooning, Mark Tobey, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock)” (“Endel Kõks. With courage, freedom and joy”, Tartu Art Museum, 2013, p. 50).

In this piece, however, he reduces abstract art to a pulsating, vibrating background, something secondary, helping the effect rise with the appeal of a realistic portrait in strong tones. This small series of celebrity paintings also included portraits of Gina Lollobrigida, Freddy Mercury, and others.

The work will be auctioned from the private collection of Endel Kõks’ brother Jaan Kõks.

Text: Katre Palm, Harry Liivrand