Henryk Siemiradzki (1843 – 1902) – bs

Henryk Siemiradzki (bs). The Girl or the Vase?

Widmo krąży po Europie, widmo falsyfikatu Siemiradzkiego, parafrazując Marxa. Ta akwarelka pokazała się w Niemczech w 1998 roku by potem zostać sprzedana jako jedynie atrybucja w Bonhams za £ 4,812 (US$ 6,337): https://polishartcorner.com/2019/09/16/henryk-siemiradzki-1843-1902-atrybucja/. Obecnie brytyjczycy, po upływie niecałych trzech lat, uwzięli się na ten obraz, jako prawdziwą pracę ręki Siemiradzkiego, z wyceną £12,000 – £18,000. Czekam na sprzedaż i walkę rekinów handlarskich. Piszę po raz drugi w tej sprawie bo obawiam się, że polska instytucja aukcyjna, specjalizująca się w sprzedazy prac Adama Styki, Juliana Ajdukiewicza, plakatów Łempickiej przyjmie pod swój dach tę akwarelę by ogłosić światu kolejne wielkie odkrycie licząc na to, że klient się znajdzie.

Proszę zwrócić uwagę na pewną zbieżność faktów: im więcej opisu w katalogu (zamieściłem pełen, very impressive) tym mamy większy bullshit.

Lot 62. HENRYK SIEMIRADZKI (POLISH 1843-1902). The Girl or the Vase?, signed H Siemiradzki (lower right), watercolour and pencil, 39.2 x 53.4 cm (15 1/2 x 21 in). Executed circa 1874
PROVENANCE: Sale, Bolland & Marotz, Bremen, 21 March 1998, lot 835. Private collection, Europe
In 1872 Siemiradzki moved to Rome after winning a scholarship from the St. Petersburg Academy. The artist was capitvated by the ancient city and he became particularly interested in archaeological discoveries and classicsm.
The Girl or the Vase? shows a Roman patrician making the difficult choice between acquiring a slave girl or a rare vase. Siemiradzki makes reference to the corrupt power at the height of the Roman Empire and paints exhuberant and exotic objects, displaying his skilled draughtsmanship and ability in conveying splendour. Siemiradzki chooses to focus on lavish excess and dazzling objects, instead of historical accuracy. Towards the upper right of the composition is an imposing marble statue of Eros based on a famed Greek original, but which incorporates elements from several Roman copies. The beautifully painted nude slave’s robes and hair decoration identify her as Greek, despite her standing in a Roman setting. This excess and historical innacuracy within the painting may be viewed as a reference to Rome’s eventual fall.
Though The Girl or the Vase? does not depict a particular scene from history, it explores the themes of sex and power. In The Girl or the Vase? the girl’s robe is pulled off her as she struggles to maintain her dignity. She is treated purely as an object to both view and trade.
The Girl or the Vase? is a study for a larger final 1878 lost painting, previously in the collection of the Kestner Museum. Another larger version sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2005 for USD 1,426,000. The lost painting earned Siemiradzki the gold medal at the 1878 World’s Fair in Paris and the French Legion Honour.
Siemiradzki’s historical paintings propelled him to international fame. He was collected by Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna ( Empress Consort of Emperor Nicholas II) and received commissions from the Russian Imperial family.

Estimate £12,000 – £18,000. Chiswick. 03/23/22

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