Lot 419: The Merchant of Venice

Gierymski Alexander
Warschau 1850 - Rom 1901
The Merchant of Venice
Ca. 1872/73, oil/canvas, 47 x 116 cm, lo. ri. sign. A. Gierymski, some rest., unframed. - Prov.: Bought by the great-grandfather of of the consigner in Munich in the late 19th cent. - It's a study for G.s lost early masterpiece depicting the court scene from Shakespeares 'Merchant of Venice'. - Polish history, figure a. landscape painter, younger brother of Maximilian G., 1868-72 he studied at the Munich academy, among others under K. von Piloty, a. was awarded a gold medal for his complementary work 'The merchant of Venice'. 1873-79 he mainly lived a. worked in Rome. Thereafter he moved to Warsaw, but as recognition by the public failed to appear he left Poland a. lived in Germany, France a. Italy. G. is considered to be one of the most important polish artists. Starting from academic tradition he developed a naturalism which wasn't understood by his contemporaries. Guided by his interest for light a. colour he later painted in a quasi impressionist manner. - Mus.: Warsaw (Nat. Mus.), Cracow, Wroclaw a. others. - Lit.: Saur, Thieme-Becker, Bénézit a. others.