silver, lapis lazuli
7 x 6 cm size of the sculpture
sterling silver
unique
height: 7 cm
width: 6 cm
CHRISTOFLE FRANCE
Silver combined with semi-precious stone lapis lazuli, which already in prehistoric times was used as an ornamental stone, highly valued also in later centuries, collector's stone, jewelry stone and used after grinding as a pigment in the production of paints - called ultramarine in oil painting and frescoes. Its use as a pigment in painting ceased in the early 19th century, when synthetic dye was invented.
Sculpture "Veiled Face" made in the 1970s, a rarity, made in silver, donated to the director of Christofle, for whom Igor Mitoraj made plater designs.
Igor Mitoraj (1944-2014)
He was born in 1944 in Oederan. He was the son of a deported Polish forced laborer and a French prisoner of war. After the end of the war, his mother and son returned to Poland, where she married Czeslaw Mitoraj, from whom Igor took over the family name. After completing his education at the Bielsko-Biala High School of Fine Arts, he entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow in 1963. He studied painting under Tadeusz Kantor, but soon felt the need to change places in order to develop. In 1968, he studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. In 1976, he had an exhibition at La Hune gallery. After being offered an exhibition by the ArtCurial gallery in Paris, he went to Pietrasanta, Italy, where he worked on his sculptures. He worked on castings in bronze and began working in marble. After an exhibition in 1977, Mitoraj's sculptures were extremely popular. There have been about 120 solo exhibitions around the world, and his sculptures have become an integral part of the urban landscape of many cities, not only in Poland, but also abroad. He was invited to participate in the 42nd Venice Biennale in 1986, and in 2005 was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture Gloria Artis, and in 2012 was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland.
He mainly worked in bronze and marble. In his work he was inspired by antiquity. He combines the classical form of ancient art with modernity by interpreting them in his own way. A frequent motif is the male figure. The human body is shown as fragile, without overlooking perfect anatomical correctness. He was inspired by mythical figures, and referred to ancient Greece and Rome with the classical form of his sculptures. He added deliberate cracks and damage to emphasize the message of his works. The sculptures were often placed outdoors, where they changed their appearance under the influence of time and prevailing conditions, which pleased the artist. He believed that the sculptures had a life of their own. The sculpted figures had empty eye sockets,has eyes or mouths covered with material became a characteristic element of Mitoraj's work.
