Lot 104. MUTER, MELA1886 Warschau – 1967 Paris. Rhôneufer mit Booten, 1936. Oil on wood.45 x 54cm.Signed lower left: Muter.Craftman’s frame. On the reverse is another painting, ‘Landscape with Houses‘. Provenance: – Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne, 847th auction, 26th November 2003, lot 876 (label); – Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia. Estimate €15,000 – 20,000. Van Ham. 12/03/25. Sold €30,000

Podwójny obraz Meli Muter na grudniowej aukcji w Van Ham.

Lot 53. Mela Muter (Polish, 1876-1967). Rue des Roues, Avignon. c.1940s, signed ‘.. / Muter’ in two places (lower left and upper right), oil on board, 54.6 x 45.7 cm (21 1/2 x 18 in), unframed. Provenance: a private California collection. Estimate $20,000 – 40,000. Skinner-Bonhams. 11/24/25. Sold $20,000

Podwójnie sygnowany olej Meli Muter malowany grubą pastą. Nie byłem w Avignion a zatem przyjmuję wg opisu, że to jest rzeczywiście uliczka tego miasta.

Lot 33. Mela MUTER (Warsaw 1876 – Paris 1967). Barge on the banks of the Seine. Circa 1930. Oil on canvas 60 x 73 cm. Signed lower right “Muter”. Estimate €40,000 – 60,000. Millon. 10/28/25. Sold €39,000

Millon i jego eksperci dołączyli do tego obrazu opis biograficzy Meli Muter napisany przez innych, który pominąłem. Takie przepisywanie opisów z książek niewiele dodają wartości do sprzedawanej pracy. Jestem przekonany, że osoba, która rozważa wydanie €40,000 – 60,000 zna biografię artystki i potrafi umiejscowić ten obraz w jej twórczości. Czego brakuje w opisie? Oczywiście informacji o proweniencji. Wygląda jakby obraz został właśnie po raz pierwszy odkryty na rynku. Tak oczywiście nie jest i Millon pominął fakt sprzedaży tej pracy 19 listopada 2021 roku pod tytułem “Paris, la Seine au Pont-Marie, ca. 1930″, czyli stosunkowo niedawno. Spora niedbałość domu aukcyjnego i niepotrzebnie firma ukrywa falt tej sprzedaży. Można było oczywiście dodać informację o bardzo podobnej pracy Meli Muter sprzedanej w 2020 roku przez Desę-Unicum (fot poniżej) i jakoś odnieść się do niej. W sumie odnoszę wrażenie dużej nonszalancji ekspertów Millon mogącej sprawiać wrażenie pogardy w stosunku do klientów od których firma oczekuje, że sami wykonają za nich pracę.

Dla kontrasu przedstawiam obraz Meli Muter z nadchodzącej aukcji w Bonhams pt. Le sculpteur François Pompon dans son atelier. Opis (praca chyba nie jest sygnowana) zawiera znakomity esej o przedmiocie obrazu przedstawiającego znanego rzeźbiarza zajętego pracą w swojej pracowni.

Lot 2. MELA MUTER (1876-1967). Le sculpteur François Pompon dans son atelier, oil on canvas, 81 x 64.8cm (31 7/8 x 25 1/2in). Painted circa 1925. The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Urszula Lazowski. Provenance: Gérald Schurr Collection, Paris. Leicester Galleries (Peter Nahum), London. Private collection, UK. Private collection, UK (by descent from the above). Exhibited: Neuilly-sur-Seine, Centre Culturel Arturo Lopez, Portraits et autoportraits de la Collection Gérald Schurr, 16 April – 5 May 1986, no. 58. Literature: G. Schurr, Les petits maîtres de la peinture de valeur de demain, Vol. V, Paris, 1981 (illustrated p. 28).

Estimate £70,000 – £100,000. Bonhams. Passed

Le sculpteur François Pompon dans son atelier is a painting that masterfully blends visual realism and psychological depth. Painted from a viewpoint just inside the threshold of the sculptor’s studio, the composition evokes the sense of having quietly entered the space, catching the artist absorbed in his work. Pompon sits at a modest table, his posture hunched in concentration, his hands obscured by a tall stool placed between him and the viewer. Atop the stool rests a pristine white sculpture of a cockerel (Coq, 1914), one of Pompon’s signature animal forms. Rendered with remarkable fidelity, it mirrors the polished, essentialist aesthetic for which he became known – to show the animal in its truest and most undeniable essence. A hammer lies casually beside the sculpture, implying that the piece is still in progress, yet the artist’s focus has shifted, suggesting a moment of contemplation or perhaps a natural pause in the rhythm of his day.

The painting is saturated with tactile details that give it a documentary quality, yet Muter’s loose, confident brushwork imbues the scene with a painterly vitality. The use of an earthy palette, with ochres, browns, deep reds and soft whites, captures the warm, lived-in atmosphere of the atelier. In this painting, as in several of Muter’s works, the use of bold black contours defines forms with clarity and emotional intensity – a technique likely inspired by the noted polish painter Władysław Ślewiński. Lining the wall behind Pompon are semi-abstracted sculptures, their smooth, rounded forms hinting at animal figures. Though their features are indistinct, they echo the recurring themes in Pompon’s career: the distillation of the animal form into something rhythmically pure and timeless. These forms are not incidental. They represent decades of observation and refinement, whether from the farmyards of his native Normandy or from exotic creatures studied at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, where he famously set up a portable studio to model animals from life.

To the right, two figurative sculptures subtly broaden the range of Pompon’s artistic practice. A large figure of a girl with a basket (Cosette, 1888) and a Neoclassical bust serve as reminders that Pompon had mastered the human form before gaining recognition for his animal sculptures. Trained under the animalier Pierre Louis Rouillard and having worked in the studio of Auguste Rodin, who once predicted Pompon would become ‘a great artist’, Pompon’s grounding in traditional sculpture was robust (P. Kjellberg, Les bronzes du XIXe siècle, Paris, 2005, p. 583). Yet, it was only after 1905 that he devoted himself exclusively to animals, reducing their forms, smoothing away detail, and searching for ‘the essential’, as he self-described his method.

The present work was formerly part of the collection of Gérald Schurr, a French art critic and passionate collector with a unique focus on portraits of painters and writers, whether self-portraits or depictions by fellow artists such as Maurice Vlaminck, Pablo Picasso, and Paul Cézanne. François Pompon is thereby placed within this pantheon, one that truly celebrates his talent and enduring art historical significance. Schurr’s collection grew to around 700 works, reflecting his unwavering dedication and profound fascination with the faces, emotions, and enigmatic presence of each artist. He firmly believed that these portraits served as a bridge between the artist and their work, revealing deeper truths about their identity. Schurr explores this idea in Portraits et Autoportraits, a text published to accompany an exhibition of the same name held at in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1986, within which the present work formed a critical touchstone of his artistic philosophy. Alongside works such as Louis Valtat’s portrait of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (circa 1910), Maximilien Luce’s portrait of Georges Seurat (1888), and Jean Cocteau’s portrait of Pablo Picasso (1917), the present work shone in remarkable company, contributing to a vital dialogue between artists.

In Le sculpteur François Pompon dans son atelier, Mela Muter brings the hallmarks of her mature style to bear: psychological insight, expressive brushwork, and a profound sensitivity to her subject’s inner world. Just as she approached her portraits of political thinkers and anonymous exiles with unflinching emotional honesty, here she captures the quiet dignity of an artist whose life was devoted to form, restraint, and essence. This painting is not merely a depiction of a studio – it is a meditation on artistic integrity and solitude, rendered by an artist who herself navigated the complexities of identity, displacement, and belonging. The result is a rare double portrait: of the sculptor and of the very nature of artistic creation. This level of authenticity reveals not only Muter’s keen sensitivity as an observer, but also her embeddedness in the intellectual and artistic circles of the École de Paris. She was an artist who, despite her outsider status, saw and understood her subjects with remarkable clarity. In capturing Pompon within the sanctum of his creative life, Muter affirms her enduring ability to translate the invisible – concentration, humility, and genius – into powerful visual form.

Please note that this work has been requested for the landmark François Pompon retrospective at the Château de Frontenay in the summer of 2026, currently being prepared by Côme Remy and Liliane Colas from the Association François Pompon, authors of the François Pompon catalogue raisonné. This work will be reproduced in the exhibition catalogue and would be featured alongside Pompon’s seminal works in the exhibition, including Coq (1914), which appears in the foreground of this portrait.

Lot 37. Mela MUTER (Warsaw 1876 – Paris 1967). Maternity at harvest time. Circa 1925. Oil on panel 108 x 90 cm. Signed lower right “Muter”. On the back, Bargera gallery label and label with information “n°2232 Marie Mela Muter Woman with two children in the fields”. Provenance: Galerie Bargera, Cologne, Germany Ewa and Wojtek Fibak Collection, Acquired from them by the current owner in the 1990s (Swiss private collection). This work is another, more definitive version of the painting “Maternity, Mother and Child” reproduced in the catalog written by Mirosław Adam Supruniuk and Sławomir Majoch, Mela Muter, Peinture, Toruń, 2010, p.128. Estimate €60,000 – 80,000. Millon. 06/27/25. Sold €80,000

Aukcja Ecole de Paris w Millon przed przerwą wakacyjną. Zadziwia obecność aż pięciu prac Meli Muter, które sprzedał 25 lat Wojciech Fibak kolekcjonerowi ze Szwajcarii. Jedną z nich jest chyba najlepsza wersja Macierzyństa tej artystki. Na polskim rynku była inna wersja, bez proweniencji za to z kilomertrowym opisem, by po fiasku znaleźć się we Francji, dyskutowana na PAC: https://polishartcorner.com/2025/04/09/maria-mela-muter-1876-1967-35/ . Ostatni olej tutaj pokazany nie ma proweniencji i bardzo mi odbiega od pozostalych prac; niezdarne kreski na wodzie po lewej stronie stwarzają wrażenie mocnego spadku wody.

Lot 38. Mela MUTER (Warsaw 1876 – Paris 1967). Back nude. Circa 1922. Oil on canvas 92 x 65 cm. Signed upper left “Muter”. On the back of the stretcher, label “n°2226 Femme nue de dos”. Provenance: Ewa and Wojtek Fibak Collection. Acquired from them by the current owner in the 1990s (Swiss private collection). Estimate €40,000 – 60,000. Sold €100,000

Lot 39. Mela MUTER (Warsaw 1876 – Paris 1967). People from the artist’s studio in Avignon. Oil on canvas 100 x 73 cm. Signed upper left “Muter”. On the back of the canvas, label of Galerie Bargera and Galerie Gmurzynska. Provenance : Galerie Gmurzynska Galerie Bargera, Cologne, Germany Ewa and Wojtek Fibak Collection. Acquired from them by the current owner in the 1990s (Swiss private collection). This painting shows the same model as “Solitude”, from the Ewa and Wojtek Fibak collection, no. 19, and reproduced on p.12 of the catalog for the exhibition Mela Muter, Musée de Pont-Aven, October 2, 1993-January 2, 1994, Pont Aven. The painting appears to have been executed from his studio on the Rocher des Doms. The bird’s-eye view encompasses the group of people, the Rhône and Fort Saint-André in the distance on the other side of the river at Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Estimate €50,000 – 60,000. Sold €62,000

Lot 40. Mela MUTER (Warsaw 1876 – Paris 1967). Still life with books 1914. Oil on canvas 90 x 80 cm. On the back of the stretcher, the label “12937 Mela muter 90 x 80 Still life with books”. On back of canvas, information in white chalk “Gault 2 740”. Provenance: Ewa and Wojtek Fibak Collection. Acquired from them by the current owner in the 1990s (Swiss private collection). Estimate €30,000 – 40,000. Sold €32,000

Lot 41. Mela MUTER (Warsaw 1876 – Paris 1967). Pot of tulips. Oil on panel 61 x 50 cm. Signed upper left “Muter”. On the back of the frame, the label “n°2231 Pot de tulipes. Provenance: Ewa and Wojtek Fibak Collection. Acquired from them by the current owner in the 1990s (Swiss private collection). Estimate €15,000 – 20,000. Sold €25,000

Lot 69. Marie Mela MUTER (1876-1967). Fishermen in the port of Collioure. Oil on canvas, signed lower right, signature included 54 x 65 cm. Estimate €40,000 – 50,000. Auction Art Rémy Le Fur & Associés. 06/20/25. Passed

Lot 54. Mela MUTER (Warsaw 1876 – Paris 1967). Maternity ward overlooking the Rhône. Oil on panel 92.5 x 72 cm Mela. Muter was a Franco-Polish painter and draughtswoman emblematic of the École de Paris. Maria Melania Kingsland was born in Warsaw into a well-to-do Polish-Jewish family. She studied at the Warsaw School of Drawing and Painting for Women. In 1901, she arrived in Paris with her husband Michal Muttermilch and enrolled at the Académie Colarossi, then the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. By 1902, she had become an important figure in Montparnasse and Parisian artistic life. She exhibited regularly in Paris. Her first works were Symbolist landscapes and portraits, before she evolved towards a more Expressionist style. Her landscapes of the South are marked by the heritage of Cézanne, particularly in the geometrization of forms, but also by the Fauves and the Expressionists.

The painting presented here, Maternité, was painted around 1940/1950 in Avignon. During the Second World War, Mela Muter lived in hiding in Avignon. She was helped and sheltered by a number of families and residents. The painting appears to have been executed from her studio on the Rocher des Doms. The view over the Rhône is superb. Avignon’s geography is illustrated by the boats resting along the banks of the Rhône below, while the relief of Mont Ventoux is sketched in the distance.

Mela Muter distinguished herself as a talented portraitist and painter of the human figure. She portrayed numerous personalities from the artistic, literary and political worlds, including François Pompon, Raymond Lefebvre, Léopold Gottlieb and Georges Clémenceau. However, Mela Muter’s paintings are also often populated by anonymous people posing for her. Very close to people, she often finds models as she meets them. Among them are men, but women and children remain the figures she depicts most. This work reveals the presence of several characters. Maternity, at the center of the composition, is surrounded by naked children, betraying a hot summer’s day. Figures embrace in the upper left, while another maternity is visible in the upper right. A young girl in traditional dress stands to the right of the Maternity and stares at the viewer with her black-rimmed eyes. Maternity is an important and recurring subject in the artist’s work. Mela Muter painted this motif, which she particularly appreciated, from the 1910s until the end of her life. The chubby child, resting on his mother’s lap, has peacefully fallen asleep after suckling the still visible breast. Mela Muter’s touching and talented portrayal of a universal sentiment: maternal love. The presence and bustle of the surrounding characters do nothing to disturb the deep, harmonious connection that follows breastfeeding. This scene of union is conveyed in warm, vibrant colors. The painting reveals a strong, balanced construction. Mela Muter is renowned for her ability to “construct space”. A pyramidal reading around the central figure is visible, lending a strong dynamism to the composition. This scene, with its undefined contours and almost floating figures above the Rhône, is a poetic and profound example of the artist’s inner life.

Estimate €80,000 – 100,000. Millon. 04/24/28. Passed at €72,000

Dom aukcyjny, który wycenia pracę na €100,000 powinien podać informację o jej proweniencji. Nie ma znaczenia jaka jest ta proweniencja tj. czy obraz pochodzi z domu baronów czy znaleziony został w piwnicy przytułku. Jeśli Millon posiada sekretartę gotową napisać czy przepisać fragment biografii Meli Muter to powinien znaleźć się ktoś w tej fimie gotowy przewąchać skąd ta praca przywędrowała i ta informacja nie musi być tajemnicą. Warto również zaznaczyć, że obraz ten nie jest sygnowany i może dlatego proweniencja jest istotna. Jeśli obraz zostanie sprzedany jak się oczekuje za €100,000 plus 33% opłat to polskie domy aukcyjne będą zmuszone go wycenić na ponad milion złotych, tj. podwójnie aby swoje zarobić. Trudne mają życie polskie domy aukcyjne bo to one będą zmuszone za te pieniądze dotrzeć do dodatkowych informacji lub je same wymyślić.

List od czytelnika w sprawie tego obrazu:

Od 2023 r. już 2 razy w Polsce próbowano to „cóś” sprzedać z kolekcji prywatnej z Warszawy: https://onebid.pl/pl/malarstwo-dawne-mela-melania-mutermilch-muter-macierzynstwo/2008230; https://www.agraart.pl/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Katalog-Aukcji-Sztuki-Dawnej-10-grudnia-2023.pdf; https://www.sda.pl/aukcja/obiekty/mela-muter-macierzynstwo-lata-ok-19401950,50017,pl; https://artinfo.pl/artinformacje/aukcja-dziel-sztuki-w-sopocie-b885927f-78eb-46b4-811f-4caca61ed3e0

Natomiast na moje pijane oko to jest nieudana kopia pracy MACIERZYŃSTWO, OK. 1924: https://sztuka.agraart.pl/licytacja/202/12464 co była na wystawie w 2017 r.: https://www.rmf24.pl/kultura/news-pierwsza-taka-wystawa-w-warszawie-widzowie-zobacza-niezwykle,nId,2440341

Pozdr. Adartem

Podsumowując list czytelnika obraz pojawiał się w Polsce:

1) 10 grudnia 2023 – Agra Art – cena wywoławcza 480,000 PLN

2) 31 sierpnia 2024 – Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny – cena wywoławcza 480,000 PLN, estymacja 600,000 – 1,000,000 PLN

W obydwu przypadkach obraz nie został sprzedany i w obydwu przypadkach opis towarzyszący pracy był niezmiernie długi. W jaki sposób obraz ten znalazł się w kolekcji warszawskiej tego nie podano.

Lot 167. Marie Mela MUTER (1876-1967). In Provence. Oil on panel. Signed lower left. Inscribed on a label stuck to the back of the panel “Marie Mela Muter, en Provence, n°20F. 73 x 60 cm, prix 60 000”. Inscription on another label “N1023”. 60 x 73 cm (Small lack on the upper edge and towards the bottom right). Estimate €20,000 – 30,000. Delon-Hoebanx. 04/09/25. Sold €50,000

Dobry okres by inwestować w dobrą sztukę w momencie, gdy rynkowe akcje (stocks) okazują sie wydmuszkami i rynek papierów wali się na łeb. Giełda w dół, sztuka w górę! Ars longa, vita brevis.

Lot 67. Marie Mela MUTER (1876-1967) N°18,  Saint Séverin Church. Oil on panel (double-sided) signed lower right. 60 x 73 cm We would like to thank Mrs. Urszula Lazowski, MA. for confirming the authenticity of this work and for the information she provided. Estimate €15,000 – 25,000. Marambat – de Malafosse. 04/03/25. Sold €43,500

Zaskakuje mnie, że wspomniana p. Urszula Łazowska z USA wyrosła na eksperta prac Meli Muter. Czyżby we Francji utracono wiedzę o tej artystce? Więcej prac Meli Muter pod koniec miesiąca.

Czytelnik dość uszczypliwie w stosunku do mnie pisze odnośnie obiektu tej pracy Meli Muter:

Pan się kiedyś doktoryzował w tym kościele z pracy Marii Melanii Mutermilch. Church Saint-Didier, Avignon z Prowansji: https://polishartcorner.com/2022/05/26/maria-melania-mutermilch-1876-1967-36/. Odnośnie bezsprzecznie paryskiej uliczki z pracy Marii Meli Muter, zatytułowanej Saint Séverin Church https://polishartcorner.com/2025/04/02/maria-mela-muter-1876-1967-33/ to mam 2 uwagi:

Wolałbym do kolekcji kupić obraz z mniej spauperyzowanym tematem przewodnim tzw. leitmotive.

Motyw tej paryskiej uliczki z b. charakterystyczną zieloną kamieniczką z kramami po lewej pierzei prowadzącej do paryskiego kościoła Saint Séverin Church jest bowiem bardzo a to bardzo popularnym tematem z różnym skutkiem wartości malarskiego dzieła:

Przywołałbym pierwszy z brzegu obraz Henri Epstein -Rue de Paris: https://www.artnet.com/artists/henri-epstein/rue-de-paris-2FWdhvAHeauWxDxGxB71hw2

Constantin KLUGE (1912-2003). Paris, l’église Saint Séverin. – Lot 245: https://www.lesandelys-encheres.com/lot/146370/23418427-constantin-kluge-1912-2003-paris-leglise-saint-severin-huile?search=&

Lot 546: GEORGE HANN (1900-1979), PARISIAN STREET SCENE, signed lower left, oil on c: https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/watson/95/620395/H2943-L137224478.jpg; https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/george-hann-1900-1979-parisian-street-scene-signe-546-c-ff94962b6a

Natomiast o dziwo w prywatnej kolekcji był/jest ? bardzo podobny obraz M. Muter, który próbowano sprzedać za 120.000 PLN w którym wskazano, że jest to uliczka z Bretanii ?? I z tym obrazem odnośnie duktu pędzla oraz sygnatury porównywałbym dokładnie ten obraz przedstawiający paryski kościół Saint Séverin Church. MELA MUTER PEJZAŻ Z BRETANII. ULICZKA Z KOŚCIOŁEM W TLE OLEJ NA DESCE60,7 × 45,7 CM W OPRAWIE: 87,2 × 73 CM; https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/Dp8k9kpTURBXy84NzhiYTI1OGMwOWU4YjRjMmU3Njk4ZDcwMjhhYzVjOC5wbmeRlQLNA5gAwsPeAAGhMAU; https://www.forbes.pl/life/sztuka/malarstwo-polskie-xix-i-xx-wieku-do-obejrzenia-i-kupienia/dh9cf9g;https://artinfo-production.s3.waw.io.cloud.ovh.net/uploads/artwork/image/45740/full_03.jpg. Pozdrawiam, J

Lot 198. Mela Muter (Maria Melania Mutermilch), Berglandschaft. Oil on panel. 40.5 x 30 cm. Framed. Unsigned. Galerie Bargera, Cologne, label verso, therein work information and inscribed “No 41”. – Retouchings in the impasto dark areas and a few small paint losses. Wooden panel minimally convex curved. Estimate 12,000 – 15,000 euro. Lempertz. 11/30/24. Passed

Flop w domu Lempertz związany z pracami Meli Muter. Dwa oleje spadły z aukcji a akwarela sprzedana poniżej ceny sprzed roku (4,600 euro): https://polishartcorner.com/2023/12/02/maria-mela-muter-1876-1967-19/.

Lot 199. Mela Muter (Maria Melania Mutermilch), Boote am Hafen. Watercolour on wove paper with watermark “Arches”. 36 x 51 cm. Framed under glass. Signed ‘Muter’ in black lower right. – Drawing pin holes in the corners. Estimate 3,000 – 5,000 euro. Sold 4,000 euro

Lot 200. Mela Muter (Maria Melania Mutermilch), Alte Frau. Oil on panel. 55.2 x 33.4 cm. Signed ‘Muter’ upper rigt in red. – Numbered “47” verso in black brush. Label of Galerie Bargera, Cologne verso, therein work information and inscribed “No 43”. – Faint abbrasion at the margins, two small losses to the left. Otherwise very good and colour fresh condition. Estimate 12,000 – 15,000 euro. Passed

KIlka bardzo dobrych obrazów Meli Muter będzie licytowanych za dwa dni w niemieckim Lempertz.

Lot 71. MELA MUTER (1876-1967). Flowerpot and newspaper. Oil on canvas. Signed lower right (Minor restorations). Oil on canvas, signed lower right 65 x 54 cm – 25 5/8 x 21 1/4 in. Provenance Private collection, France. Estimate 20,000 -30,000 euro. Agutters. 11/28/24. Sold 27,000 euro

Ten obraz sprzedano w lipcu tego roku w tym samym domu aukcyjnym za 43,000 euro (hammer), https://polishartcorner.com/2024/07/06/maria-mela-muter-1876-1967-26/. Jak wytłumaczyć ponowną sprzedaż? Cold feet? Brak pieniędzy czy też dom aukcyjny w Polsce nie chciał zaakceptować podwójej ceny? Wkrótce zobaczymy.

Lot 216. Mela MUTER (1876-1967) : Portrait de Madame Isabelle COLOM. Oil on canvas signed upper right, painted by the artist during her stay in Avignon during the Second World War. Size 73 x 59 cm. Estimate 8,000 – 10,000 euro. Avignion. 10/26/24