gouache, watercolor, cardboard; 61 x 138 cm;
Signed and inscribed l. d.: "JFałat / Nieśwież";
On the reverse:
- "Achilleion" Art Salon sticker with printed text and handwritten inscription;
- sticker fragments with printed text in German and with partially legible handwritten inscription: "[...]ałat / [...]eśwież".
Provenance:
private collection, Katowice
State of preservation:
minor losses of cardboard
Julian Fałat's stays in Nesvizh, which provided the impetus for his excellent paintings, certainly established his high artistic position. Made famous in masterly watercolors, often in winter scenery, the locality was formerly the seat of the magnate family of Radziwill, now - located in Belarus. The painter arrived there for the first time in February 1886, returning from a trip to the East (only a year earlier the artist had taken a trip around the world). His assignment was to document a bear hunt by Wilhelm of Prussia (later Kaiser Wilhelm II), who was a guest of Prince Antoni Radziwill. This meeting was one of the turning points in his artistic life. The artist was invited by Wilhelm to Berlin and for the next decade worked with the imperial court, carrying out painting commissions. Enchanted by the views from Nesvizh, Fałat visited the town frequently in both the 1880s and 1890s, and at different times of the year. The hunting scenes, often with an elaborate composition and replicated favorite motifs, attracted attention with their excellent execution technique and the artist's palpable fondness for vast, idyllic landscapes.
The offered, impressively sized composition depicts a multifaceted scene taking place in front of the Radziwill nobleman's manor house. The wide frame shows preparations for a hunting trip. The silhouettes of the hunters are marked with distinct patches of color, but it is the majestic winter landscape that dominates the composition of the painting. The artist, with his usual talent, depicted the color of the snow and the sun's rays, enlivening the scenery with color. A painting of this class stands out in the painter's works available on the auction market. It is also the first public presentation of this object.
Bibliography:
- Dobrowolski T., "Akwarelowe malarstwo Juliana Fałata" [in:] ,,Nowoczesne malarstwo polskie", vol. 2, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, Wrocław - Kraków 1960.
- Dzierżanowska D., "Julian Fałat [1853-1929]", People, times, works, vol. 13, Warsaw 2006.
- "Julian Fałat. Memoirs," edited by A. Lubasiowa, Silesian Scientific Institute, Katowice 1987.
- Malinowski J., "Julian Fałat", Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Warsaw 1987.
- Treter M., "Fałat", [in:] "Sztuki Piękne. Monthly magazine devoted to architecture, sculpture, painting, graphics and ornamentation", r. 2, Publishing House of the Polish Institute of Fine Arts, circulation of the National Printing House in Cracow, Cracow 1925-1926.
