The text on the lower left side of the picture is a fragment of a Slovak national poem and can be translated as:
"On the King's ridge
a bright (bon)fire in burning
around this fire
twelve shapely galants standing"

After the war when Filla returned from Buchenwald concentration camp he became fascinated by motives of resistance in Slovak history. He used the folk story of Janosik in about 50 paintings all made during the short period of 1949 to 1951. Janosik was the leader of a group of galants who were fighting against suppression during Feudalism. The popular hero Janosik and his group were regarded as predecessors of the partizans who fought the Nazi's in the Second World War.

We would like to thank Dr Pavol Ivanyi for his help in cataloguing this lot

See colour illustration