Advanced search Advanced search
1

Stanisław Ignacy WITKIEWICZ - WITKACY (1885-1939), Portrait of Wanda Orłowska, 1935

add Your note 
Lot description Show orginal version
Estimations: 41 564 - 48 126 EUR

Pastel, paper; 63 x 48 cm (light frame);
Signed l. d.: Ign Witkiewicz, described and dated p. d.: 2 ( + NP) + 3pyffko / 1935 II-III;
on the back of the binding, paper ownership sticker: Portrait / Wanda Orłowska / Owner / Zdzisław Orłowski / Poznań - Zakręt Street ... (in pen), part of the inscription crossed out and overwritten in blue ink: Julia Michalska / Kasprzak (ballpoint pen) and annotation: IGNACY WITKIEWICZ 1935(II-III) / Zofia Januszkiewicz (ballpoint pen, black ink).

The first formulated rules and regulations of the Portrait Company of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz were created in 1925, during a joint exhibition with Tymon Niesiolowski, organized in Garlinski's salon in Warsaw (1). At that time, in the catalog for the exhibition, during which the artist presented only portraits, Witkacy announced that he would only be occupied with this subject matter in painting, since his other work did not receive the expected recognition. Witkacy also declared at this time that he had given up the Pure Form tory in painting, which was ultimately not fully realized, since, as Irena Jakimowicz points out (2) and as the updated version of Witkacy's Portrait Company regulations from 1928 (3) states, many of the images created in the Portrait Company can be referred to by this term. They were also distinguished by Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz himself, marking the less "licked" (4) representations with the signature Witkacy, and those characterized by "niceness" (5) with the full name (6). Also in the catalog of the Warsaw exhibition for the first time appeared the types of portraits, which the artist marked with letters also subjecting them to a brief characterization. These regulations have been expanded and updated, particularly as regards the most demanding type C, and a children's type that is a combination of the two previously listed in the inventory has also been added. In Witkacy's images and theories, the issue of the mirror (7) also played an unusual form - more precisely, the repose in it, the creation of a double of the person looking through it. The artist himself also repeatedly created his own multiplications of characters revealed in plays or prose (8) .
The presented pastel shows a portrait of Wanda Orlowska, not marked with a letter type, but one could think that it belongs to those described by the artist as "licked" or characterized by "niceness", that is, A or B possibly E where: "The effect achieved can be completely equal to the result of types A and B - the path by which it is reached is different, as is the method of execution itself, which can be various" (9). Witkacy's author's markings in the composition only communicate that he did not use alcohol and tobacco (10) in the last two days before undertaking the work, only it can be presumed that he reached for "pyfko" during the work.
The image, by Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, shows a hitherto unknown portrait of Wanda Orlowska, wife of Major Zdzislaw Orlowski, a resident of a villa on Zakręt Street in Poznan (11). In the publication, by Piotr Korduba and Aleksandra Paradowska, "On old Grunwald. Houses and Their Inhabitants" (12), two more portraits of a lady from Poznań, dating from 1930 and 1935 and marked B and B+E, respectively, not included in the artist's ouvre, compiled by Irena Jakimowicz and Anna Żakiewicz, are included and reproduced. The authors of the publication also characterized the portrayed, who often visited Zakopane, as a handsome woman interested in the fine arts: "Wanda Orlowska was characterized by extraordinary class and uncommon beauty. Apparently, when she came to Zakopane, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz would stand in the doorway of the dining room of the guesthouse where she was staying, ostentatiously gazing at her. He portrayed her several times. It was not only a pleasure for him, but also a sure income. The major willingly paid for the conterfects of his beautiful wife. Thus, not only Witkacy portrayed her. It is known that she also posed for Kazimierz Jasnoch, a painter from Poznan, and that Orłowski brought the well-known artist Rudolf Krzyżak from Zakopane to paint her overall image" (13).
Wanda Orłowska also inherited a collection of artwork from her first husband Bogdan Rajewski, a banker. Unfortunately, the turmoil of war, forced the Orlowski couple to leave the country at the threshold of World War II. Orlowska's collection of paintings was moved to Minsk Mazowiecki, where it was supposed to safely survive the military conflict; unfortunately, during the occupation, the collection was taken to Warsaw and burned during the uprising (14). Therefore, the portrait of Wanda Orlowska by Witkacy deserves all the more attention from collectors and art historians, as one of the few works that probably came from the collection of the Orlowski couple, survived into the 21st century.

1/. Source: http://www.witkacy.hg.pl/firma/firma.htm, accessed 25.01.2022.
2/. Irena Jakimowicz, Anna Żakiewicz, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz 1885-1939. catalog of paintings, Warsaw 1990, p. 14.
3/. Source: http://www.witkacy.hg.pl/firma/regul.htm, accessed 25.01.2022.
4/.Source of words after Witkacy: source: http://www.witkacy.hg.pl/firma/regul.htm, availability: 25.01.2022.
5/. Source of words after Witkacy: source: http://www.witkacy.hg.pl/firma/regul.htm, availability: 25.01.2022.
6/. Irena Jakimowicz, Anna Żakiewicz, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz 1885-1939. Katalog dzieł malarskich, Warsaw 1990, p. 12.
7/. Irena Jakimowicz, Anna Żakiewicz, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz 1885-1939. catalog of paintings, Warsaw 1990, p. 12.
8/. Irena Jakimowicz, Anna Żakiewicz, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz 1885-1939. catalog of paintings, Warsaw 1990, p. 12.
9/. Source of words after Witkacy: source: http://www.witkacy.hg.pl/firma/regul.htm, accessed 25.01.2022.
10/.Source: https://www.muzeum.slupsk.pl/index.php/witkacy/skroty, availability: 25.01.2022.
11/. Piotr Korduba, Aleksandra Paradowska, On old Grunwald. Houses and their inhabitants, Poznań 2012, pp. 112-117.
12/. Piotr Korduba, Aleksandra Paradowska, On old Grunwald. Houses and their inhabitants, Poznań 2012, pp. 112, 114.
13/. Piotr Korduba, Aleksandra Paradowska, Na starym Grunwaldzie. Houses and their inhabitants, Poznań 2012, p. 112.
14/. Piotr Korduba, Aleksandra Paradowska, Na starym Grunwaldzie. Houses and their inhabitants, Poznań 2012, p. 117.

Auction
288 Early Art Auction
gavel
Date
09 February 2022 CET/Warsaw
date_range
Start price
37 189 EUR
Estimations
41 564 - 48 126 EUR
Hammer price
no offers
Item is not available any more
Views: 574 | Favourites: 4
Auction

Rempex

288 Early Art Auction
Date
09 February 2022 CET/Warsaw
Lots bidding

Bids can be placed on selected lots which have been previously submitted only. To submit a lot you need to click SUBMIT FOR AUCTION button next to it

Buyer's premium
20.00%
OneBid does not charge additional fees for the bidding.
Bid increments
  1
  > 100
  2 000
  > 200
  5 000
  > 500
  10 000
  > 1 000
  20 000
  > 2 000
  50 000
  > 5 000
  100 000
  > 10 000
  200 000
  > 20 000
  500 000
  > 50 000
 
Terms and Conditions
About the Auction
FAQ
About the Seller
Rempex
Contact
Dom Aukcyjny Rempex (Sztuka dawna)
room
ul. Karowa 31
00-324 Warszawa
phone
+48 669 222 259
Opening hours
Monday
11:00 - 19:00
Tuesday
11:00 - 19:00
Wednesday
11:00 - 19:00
Thursday
11:00 - 19:00
Friday
11:00 - 19:00
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
Customers who bought the works of this artist also bought
keyboard_arrow_up