89th Auction, lot 42 Václav Brožík counts among the most outstanding personalities of the Czech art scene of the last quarter of the 19th century. This position is ensured not only by the fact that he was a member of the so-called National Theatre generation but also by his immense hard work manifested across painting genres. Although his early work was influenced by Gabriel von Max, his artistic development was completed in Paris, where he quickly grew artistically and socially. This was reflected, among other things, in his election as rector of the reformed Prague Academy. Probably at this time, he executed the presented high-quality painting, which carries all the attributes of the top genre painting of the time. It depicts an elderly tired man who has just quenched his thirst after an exhausting journey. The girl gladly served him, but the man suddenly found himself in dire straits, for in his pockets, apart from a pipe and a bag of tobacco, he found nothing but two kreutzers, while the beer he drank cost five kreutzers. It doesn’t seem like he came with bad intentions, but the awkwardness of the whole situation is captured perfectly. The interior is masterly characterised by a holy picture on the wall and a broken window pane. There is also, using the words of critics of the time, the “obligatory kitty”, which Brožík often used as a favourite feature of genre scenes. This painting has its pendant depicting a story most likely preceding the one presented: the same man is portrayed there again with a pipe and assisted by a young girl, a boy, and a kitty in the foreground when preparing to run some errands, perhaps ending in the pub, where he will discover that he lacks three kreutzers to spend.The value and authenticity of the painting are confirmed by its publication on the pages of the contemporary cultural periodical Zlatá Praha ([Golden Prague] XIII, 1896, No. 8, p. 95, fig. p. 93) and in the artist’s monograph (N. Blažíčková-Horová, ed.: Václav Brožík, 1851–1901, Prague 2003, cat. No. 268). Drawing studies for this work can be found in the collections of the National Gallery in Prague (inv. No. VK 1236). The seal on the reverse refers to the property of Charles Sedelmeyer, the artist’s father-in-law. Assessed during consultations by prof. R. Prahl, CSc., and Mgr. M. Dospěl, Ph.D. The expertise of PhDr. Š. Leubnerová is attached.