Adam Styka (1890 Kielce-1959 New York), Lovers of the Orient

oil, canvas, 80.5 × 64.5 cm
signed l. d.: ADAM/STYKA (framed)
Adam Styka came from a family with great artistic traditions - he was the son of Jan and younger brother of Tadeusz Styka. Initially, his professional life was not at all to be associated with painting. Although Adam showed great interest in art from an early age, his father Jan had
completely different plans for Adam. First of all, he greatly favored his older son Tadeusz in terms of his artistic development. As Wanda Styka, Adam's wife, recalls, "Father said that there was no need for three Styka painters, and he wanted to direct Adam on a different path" (Czeslaw Czaplinski, "The
Styka Family Saga", New York 1988, p.135). This path was to be the future study of engineering. Around 1907, Adam was sent to the prestigious Catholic school Passy in Froyennes, Belgium, preparing him to study engineering at the best universities in France (Lit. Andrzej Bińkowski, Bińkowska Maja, Skrodzka Barbara, Su Romain, "Adam Styka, life and work", 2015, p.6.). There, fortunately, Adam's great artistic talent was noticed by one of Adam's teachers and persuaded Jan to send his son to study painting. This is how Adam began his studies at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the tutelage of French academic painter Fernand Cormon (1855-1924), who painted portrait, historical and religious representations, and the fruit of his stay in Tunisia also became paintings of oriental themes. It was probably contact with this artist that instilled in the young student a fascination with the distant world of the Orient.

Adam's first trip to Africa was most likely in 1909, as part of a scholarship he received. Subsequent trips to Algiers and Tunis took place in 1911. Since then, Adam Styka visited exotic African countries many times, and these trips were an integral part of the artist's life. Styka was absolutely enthralled with the Black Continent, its people and landscapes. From that time on the canvases of the youngest Styka appeared sun-drenched scenes of nomadic life, caravans, scenes at watering holes with camels or donkeys. The oriental paintings presented at exhibitions aroused widespread interest and admiration not only among the public, but also among critics: "Walk into the room with Adam Styka's People of the East, and immediately the temperature seems to rise; for these scenes from Algiers and Egypt are so hot in color, as if each, of these landscapes were burning from the sun. (...) Such stunning luminosity, color and heat are rarely seen even in Eastern paintings. These are paintings that should not be missed by any lover of the energy contained in sensual beauty."
A. Bridle "The Toronto Daily Star", March 4, 1937, quoted in Cz. Czaplinski, "The Styka Family Saga/Saga of the Styka Family", New York 1988, pp. 152-153.

Erotic-tinged Moroccan portraits of women and their lovers became characteristic of Styka's work. This is how the artist himself recalled his stay in Marrakech "The so-called Quartier reserve, i.e. the district of women and dancers showing off in special cafes to the sound of music, is also interesting. [...] there I also found subjects for my paintings such as: "Flirty," "Moroccan Idyll," and "Slaves of Love." (Czeslaw Czaplinski, op. cit., pp. 147-148). The painting "Moroccan Lovers" presented in the auction catalog comes from this series.
"Adam Styka becomes a portraitist to show the mime art of the Arabs. He paints exquisite Egyptian mules, desert camels and with passionate love renders physiognomies with the characteristic tan and temperament of nomads: dark-skinned sheikhs with black beards, flared eyes and cruel teeth, the sophistication of barbarians; their favorite women with full curves, gleaming teeth and sunny eyes, their heads, shoulders and necks covered with clanking jewelry; warriors with facial expressions determined and mysterious. This is the true depth of the Arabian soul expressed on canvases that cannot be forgotten."
Reynold, "La Presse", 10.IV 1937, Montreal, quoted in Cz. Czaplinski, "The Styka Family Saga/Saga of the Family of
Styka Family," New York 1988, p. 152.