Caldarroste

Caldarroste is a beautiful original China ink drawing, realized in 1934 by the Polish artist  Katerina Wilczynski (1894-1978).

Hand-titled in black ink on the lower right margin, and signed and dated " WILC 34 " on the lower right corner.

A beautiful view on the popular scene of ordinary life in Via dei Canestrari  in Rome: an elder woman is cooking the chestnuts while the merchant of wicker chairs and hand-made baskets is waiting for the chestnuts to be ready.

Realized with an incredible vibrant line, this artwork described the life in Rome in the 30s, a disappeared Rome.

In excellent conditions, the original sheet is glued on a cream-colored cardboard. On the back, on lower left corner, a blue-ink stamp " Collezione Contessa Anna Laetitia Pecci-Blunt Arte Storia ".

Provenance : Pecci-Blunt Collection, Rome, Italy.

Katerina Wilczynski (Poznan,1894-1978)

The Polish artist was a 20th-century painter, printmaker and illustrator. Born in Poland, she spent a large part of her career and life in Britain and Italy, painting portraits and cityscapes. She studied art between Leipzig and Berlin before moving to Paris where she undertook some freelance work. In 1930, Wilczynski won a Prix de Rome scholarship and used the funding to move to that city. Whilst in Rome, she drew several churches and monuments. In 1939, she moved to London. During World War II, Wilczynski drew buildings and landmarks damaged by bombing and contributed with her pieces to the artists exhibitions on war held at the National Gallery.

After the war, Wilczynski traveled extensively, especially in Greece and Italy. An exhibition of her Greek portraits and landscapes was held at the Ansdell Gallery in 1970. Drawings by Wilczynski appeared in several books including Daphnis and Chloe , Homage to Greece and The Love Songs of Sappho . Her artworks are held in public collections in Dresden, Cologne and London at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.