Lot 94: Carlo Wostry (Italian, 1865-1943)

At the races
signed, inscribed and dated 'Wostry/Paris/99' (lower left)
oil on canvas
25 3/4 x 19 3/4 in. (65.4 x 50.2 cm.)
Painted in 1899.

W. Abrami and L. Resciniti, Carlo Wostry: da San Giusto a San Francisco, Trieste, 2000, p. 117 (illustrated)

Carlo Wostry was born in Trieste, but received his first artistic training in Vienna, where he studied at the Fine Arts Academy, and met some of the most relevant young artistic figures of the time, such as Anselm Feuerbach. In 1885 he moved to Munich, one of the European capitals of art, and in 1886 he won the Rittermeyer prize, before making his way to Rome. Between 1896 and 1904 he was in Paris where, besides painting, he worked as an illustrator and a journalist, writing a few articles for the international European press. Wostry also lived and worked in Budapest, Barcelona and Constantinople, moving to the United States at the age of sixty. He died in Trieste in 1943.

In the present work Wostry captures the elegance of life in Paris during the Belle Epoque, where he is an attentive observer of horse races. Fascinated by this theme, Wostry repeatedly looks at these events from the margins of the contest, as if not wanting to interfere. The artist captures the bourgeoisie at leisure, concentrating his attention especially on the female world of races rather than on horses or jockeys. Artists as varied as Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Giuseppe de Nittis had all found inspiration in the bustling activity surrounding the racecourse, undoubtedly influencing Wostry's perception of it.

A photograph of this painting was found in the artist's portfolio and exhibited at Carlo Wostry's retrospective organised in 2000 by the city of Trieste. A larger version of this picture, entitled Steeplechase was exhibited at the 1899 Paris Salon.

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.
Christie's Interest in Property Consigned for Auction. From time to time, Christie's may offer a lot which it owns in whole or in part. This is such a lot.