Lot 283. Zdzislaw Beksinski (1929 Sanok – 2005 Warsaw). Untitled (UT), oil on hardboard, 100 cm x 132 cm,signed ”BEKSINSKI” on the reverse and dated 1993. Opening €65,000. Wettman. 06/09/26

The painting by Zdzislaw Beksinski depicts, against a brownish-grey background, a weathered tau cross into whose wood a deformed, decaying figure in predominantly dark red tones appears to have merged. Executed in oil on hardboard, the painting measures 97.8 cm in height and 132.5 cm in width and is in impeccable condition, appearing as if it had just come from the artist’s easel. It was originally part of the collection of Anna and Piotr Dmochowski in Paris and was acquired from there in 2005 for a German private collection, where it has remained to this day.With this work, Beksinski returns once more to the oppressively empty spaces that frequently served as the stage for his dystopian visions in the 1980s. As in all his depictions of the cross, he presents a profound reinterpretation of the religious symbol: the Christian sign of sacrifice, redemption, and transcendence is transformed here into an image of radical decay and existential emptiness. The traditional heroic or suffering representation of the Crucified is abandoned in favor of a depersonalized appearance. Consequently, the cross loses its function as a symbol of salvation. It appears instead as a site of transience. At the same time, the empty, indeterminate background refuses any embedding in a concrete space or a framework of salvation history, rendering the scene isolated and timeless. There is no indication of a divine presence or hope for redemption; instead, an atmosphere of loneliness and loss of meaning prevails.The panel is elaborately framed. The painting is accompanied by a letter of transfer from Piotr Dmochowski, including an Ektachrome.The work is published on the website of the archive dedicated to the promotion of Z. Beksinski’s art, maintained by Piotr Dmochowski:https://www.beksinskiarchiwum.net/archiwum2,prace_z_beksinskiego_w_kolekcji_a_ i_p_dmochowskich,obrazy,kolekcja_obrazow_a_i_p_dmochowskich,krzyze.html

Uff. Uspokoiłem się. Ten obraz Zdzisława Belsińskiego posiada ‘dotknięcie’ Piotra Dmochowskiego. Jednak, subiektywnie ciekawszego Beksa wystawiła właśnie Agra-Art: https://one.bid/en/other-zdzislaw-beksinski-without-title-1983/3454114?auctionId=9963&utm_source=lot-art&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=9963 i on stanowi zdrową konkurencję.