A Major Work by Josef Šíma Resurfaces in Philadelphia

An extremely rare and important painting by Josef Šíma, one of the most prominent Czech painters of the 20th century, has resurfaced in a notable Philadelphia collection after nearly a century, prompting leading scholar and authenticator Ph.D Rea Michalová, Ph.D., to call it “the rediscovery of the century.”

Entitled Europa, the oil was painted in Paris in the spring/summer of 1927 and will be offered at auction on April 29, 2026, in Freeman’s New York galleries. Long unknown to scholars, the work has been identified as an almost identical counterpart to the version held in the Moravian Gallery in Brno, which is widely considered to be the most important painting of Šíma’s entire career. 

Impressionist and Modern Art 

Apr 29 | 11:00 AM ET (32 East 67th St, New York, NY 10065)

In situ view of Europa in Freeman’s 2400 Market St Galleries, March 2026

A Pivotal Year

1927 marked a decisive turning point in Šíma’s artistic evolution. Initially involved with expressionism, he began developing a new visual language rooted in myth, cosmology, and archetypal representation after meeting the poet and critic Pierre Jean Jouve. In his late 1920s compositions, the artist sought to express on canvas his desire to become one with the universe, and turned increasingly toward symbolism, to explore an interior, unknown mystical world

 

The artist in his studio 3, cour de Rohan, Paris, c. 1929

 

Europa embodies this breakthrough moment. The composition depicts two headless torsos over one of which hovers a monumental egg -one of the artist’s most potent symbols. Appearing in at least four other compositions from the same period, the egg represents both the origin of the world and the unity of existence. It is from this cosmic form that the figures emerged, which some scholars have interpreted as Adam and Eve, set against a black void evocative of primordial chaos. In the painting Europa, Josef Šíma merges various sources of inspiration, from mythological symbolism – both torsos are deeply rooted in ancient sculpture – to contemporary avant-garde literature.

Left: Crow (1927), Fondation des Treilles, Paris.

Middle: Adolf Hoffmeister, Meeting of Le Grand Jeu group in Josef Šíma’s studio (1927).

Right: ML, L’œuf (1927), Private Collection. Sold at auction in Brno in 2018 for $1,391,315

The importance of Europa within the artist’s body of work was recognized from the moment of its creation. The painting (very likely our version) even appears in a contemporary cartoon by Adolf Hoffmeister depicting Šíma’s Parisian studio: surrounded by four of his closest companions, the canvas stands in for the artist himself, whose presence is otherwise suggested by his dog.

 

A Landmark Rediscovery 

First presented publicly last season, the work immediately generated global interest and intense scholarly debate due to its striking similarity to the celebrated Brno version, which was then believed to be unique. In response to mounting questions, specialists decided to postpone the sale to undertake comprehensive research and authentication.

The painting has undergone a thorough examination at Trinity Art Research, Prague authentication studio, by Art Historian Rea Michalová and Conservator David Frank, resulting in an extensive report on both the work's history and material technique.

Left: Europa from the Moravian Gallery in Brno, 1927, oil, canvas, 80 x 65 cm

Right: Europa from Philadelphia, 1927, oil, canvas, 100 x 73 cm. To be offered 4/29/2026

 

A year later, following extensive research, rigorous provenance checks, forensics analysis, X-ray imaging, and infrared reflectography, which revealed a discreet signature in the bottom right corner of the canvas, Europa is recognized as “unquestionably authentic.” It now stands as a major work in its own right, an extraordinary testimony from one of the most dynamic periods of the European avant-garde as well as a fascinating window into the artist’s creative process. The physical confrontation of the Philadelphia and Brno paintings revealed an identical painting process, namely the use of underdrawing and a combination of oil paints along with industrial enamels. According to Michalová, “none of the compared paintings were created through simple ‘copying’ as a replica of another. Each work stands out as entirely unique in its artistic style, crafted with the same skill, finesse, and expressive delicacy, demonstrating confident artistic bravura without hesitation.”

  Exhibition checklist from the catalogue of the jubilee exhibition JOSEF ŠÍMA 1926–1936, organized by Umělecká beseda (Artistic Forum) in Prague from November 5 to December 6, 1936. This catalogue not only lists the exhibits displayed at the exhibition but also functions as a ‘working’, personal ‘inventory’ of Šíma, which, besides the works presented, in several cases also mentions other existing paintings with the same motif and their locations. Listed under #8 is the Moravian Gallery version of Europa. It later states the existence of ‘another larger canvas from the same year in the Davis Collection in Philadelphia.” A third canvas of the same size with slight variations in composition is also noted as in the collection of Georges Ribemont-Desaignes.

 

Archival research revealed that this specific version of Europa was already known during Šíma’s lifetime. Larger in size and slightly distinct in execution, it was first reproduced in 1928 in the Parisian art journal Cahiers d’Art, one of the leading publications promoting modern art in Europe, which firmly placed Šíma alongside Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall. The rediscovered painting also appears to correspond to the larger version of Europa mentioned in a 1936 Prague exhibition catalogue, which records another canvas of the same subject located in a Philadelphia collection. 

Illustration from Cahiers d'Art, Issue 4, p. 175, 1928, Paris 

 

Exceptional Provenance

The painting’s retraced provenance connects it to two influential figures in American cultural life. The first owner of Europa was the Ukrainian-born collector Bernard M. Davis, an eccentric and visionary patron who championed emerging modern artists. The painting later entered the collection of Robert Sturgis Ingersoll, a prominent lawyer, philanthropist, and longtime director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Ingersoll was an early American collector of European modernism, acquiring works by artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Chaïm Soutine, and Constantin Brâncuși.

The painting has remained with the Ingersoll family ever since. 

Left: Portrait of Bernard M. Davis (1892-1973), as published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 4, 1952.

Right: Robert Sturgis Ingersoll (1891-1973), last owner of Europa and President of the Philadelphia Museum of Art from 1948 to 1964.

 

Josef Šíma: Not a Surrealist

Born in Bohemia and trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, Šíma was immersed in artistic culture from childhood. An admirer of Paul Cézanne's work, he became an influential member of the Czech avant-garde group Devětsil before moving to France, settling permanently in Paris in 1921. Naturalized as a French citizen in 1926, he emerged as one of the few Czech painters to achieve lasting international recognition.

 

Left: Cover of Le Grand Jeu, the annual magazine which Šíma co-founded in 1928. Only three editions were made.

Right: Marie Michaela Šechtlová (Studio Šechtl et Voseček) Portrait of Josef Šíma in Paris, c. 1968

Although he was on friendly terms with the Surrealists in Paris, Šíma charted his own path and refused to align himself with the movement. In 1927, the same year he painted Europa, he co-founded Le Grand Jeu with a circle of young poets originating from Reims, dedicated to metaphysical and spiritual exploration through art and literature. While the Surrealists sought the unknown by channeling an imaginary, inner world that would carry personal meaning, Šíma and his peers aimed to break from reality to rediscover the pure, original state of existence from the origins of time. Šíma emerged as the group’s principal visual artist, and Europa ranks among the movement's most emblematic and defining images. “The rediscovery of this larger variant not only expands our understanding of Šíma’s creative process but also restores an important chapter of the European avant-garde — a moment when poetry, philosophy, and painting converged in search of new spiritual and artistic horizons,” says Michalová.

Censored for decades under the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, Šíma was finally rehabilitated in 1968 with two major retrospectives in Paris and Prague. Today, his market is undergoing renewed attention, specifically in France and the Czech Republic, where his work (albeit from a later period) often resurfaces. His auction record was broken in 2024, and specialists suggest that Europa has the potential to set a new benchmark. As one expert recently observed: “Josef Šíma is on the rise and has not yet been completely discovered.”

Europa will be offered with an estimate of $300,00-500,000 (6,378,195 - 10,630,324 CZK), which ranks amongst the highest ranges ever associated with a work by Josef Šíma at auction.

 

Impressionist and Modern Art

Apr 29 | 11:00 AM ET

Exhibition & Preview Schedule

Paris 
March 30- April 1

Chicago 
April 9-12

Philadelphia 
April 15-18

New York
April 20-28

 

View the full sale here.