oil, canvas; 60.5 x 78.5 cm;
Signed p. d.: W
On the reverse:
- on the loom, inscription: ANDRZEJ WRÓBLEWSKI and separately:72;
- sheet with inscription: p. p. Grabscy / "Shoes"
Provenance:
- private collection, Poland
- purchase at the Art Auction House, Cracow - 1998.
- collection of Maria and Józef Grabski, Cracow - until 1998.
- Collection of Teresa Wróblewska, wife of the artist, Krakow - until 1989.
Image exhibited:
- "Andrzej Wróblewski 1927-1957: A Retrospective," Zachęta Gallery of Contemporary Art, Warsaw 31.10 - 3.12.1995; National Museum in Cracow, Cracow 26.01 - 31.03.1996.
- Sukiennice Gallery, Cracow 1998
Reproduced image:
- "Andrzej Wróblewski", ed. Z. Golubiew, Zachęta Gallery of Contemporary Art, National Museum in Cracow, Institute for Art Promotion Foundation, Warsaw 1998, p. 110 (color ill.)
- "Catalogue Auction No. 4 Painting", sculpture, Polish Art Auction House, Palace of Art, Cracow 1998, item 58 pp. 106-107 (color ill.)
Image mentioned:
- "Andrzej Wróblewski", ed. Z. Golubiew, Zachęta Gallery of Contemporary Art, National Museum in Cracow, Institute for Art Promotion Foundation, Warsaw 1998, p. 186.
- "Avoiding Intermediate States. Andrzej Wróblewski (1927-1957) / Avoiding Intermediary States", ed. by M. Ziolkowska, W. Grzybala, Andrzej Wróblewski Foundation, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2014, pp. 408, 409
Bibliography:
- Census 1989, no. 3.3
- Census of non-dyst. works, 1958, p. 54, no. 72
- Calendar, 1954
A unique work by Andrew Wroblewski. The presentation of this object has the rank of an artistic event and is a unique opportunity for lovers of the artist's work. The excellent provenance of the work includes its provenance from the collection of the artist's wife, and the exhibition history affects the collector value of the object.
Wróblewski's oil compositions are rare on the Polish art market. Most recently, an object made using this technique appeared at auction nearly three years ago. Despite his tragic death at a young age, Wróblewski left behind a rich body of work that permanently changed the face of Polish post-war art. Moreover, he influenced the artistic activities of the next generation of painters, such as Jaroslaw Modzelewski.
A wooden chest, on which several pairs of shoes and a brush are carelessly arranged, occupy the central, largest part of the composition. The objects are placed against a light-colored wall and rust-colored floor. The artist has realistically rendered the details of the motif. In the flat, broadly painted color patch, he took care to vary the color tones and chiaroscuro modeling. The choice of subject matter for the painting refers to the painter's intimate, domestic space. This is supported by the dating of the work and one of the turning points in his biography - the birth of his son Andrew. The catalog with a reproduction of the offered work reads: "In addition to paintings-manifestos, the artist's oeuvre also includes works belonging to 'intimate' realism, such as still lifes composed of everyday objects." In the 1950s, he also painted scenes of family life, such as "Teresa Feeding" and "Feeding at the Balcony."
In a private diary from 1954, between the dates of July 19 -24, the artist noted the creation of, among others, the painting "My Shoes" and drawings with this motif. Three such depictions in ink and watercolor are known, differing in the arrangement of objects. The featured painting is a painterly and compositional development of this motif in oil. It seems that it was not particularly exposed by the painter, which also affects the uniqueness of the painted scene.
Andrzej Wróblewski also used the symbolism of objects, such as the sphere or the fish motif in the late 1940s. His painting grew out of his great sensitivity and gift for keen observation, which translated into poignant, socially engaged themes in his works, showing the tragedy of human fate. Painful experiences and the fragility of existence resonated in the artist's works, especially in the last years of his life. The painting described here provides a glimpse into a slightly different, more balanced space of the master's artistic explorations.