Vaclav HRADECKÝ (1867-1940) Death of Eros, 1903 Charcoal and white gouache highlights. Monogrammed and dated lower right. (Small tears). 37 x 58 cm This drawing was reproduced on a double-page spread in L'Assiette au beurre no. 141, December 12, 1903, entitled "Messes noires" and produced by Orazi and Hradecký with this caption: "Thus bruised by the assaults of gold and austere lies (his hereditary enemies) Earth's most beautiful child One evening, grim and lonely, Will die in a dirty stream." Originally from the Czech Republic, Hradecký trained in Prague before arriving in Paris in the early 20th century, where he joined a community of Czech painters (Jan Dedina, František Kupka, Alphonse Mucha...). Several of them contributed to illustrated periodicals, notably the anarchist L'Assiette au beurre. Hradecký illustrated three complete issues of the magazine in 1903, and continued to contribute drawings until 1905.