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Hertha in red shawl
Castle Museum in Łańcut
Part of the collection: Malarstwo i rysunek
The painting entitled "After the Ball" is an intriguing double portrait depicting the artist himself and his wife, Hertha. The young woman, dressed in a light evening dress with bare shoulders, has sat down, resting her cheek on her left hand – having fallen asleep, exhausted from dancing. Her face expresses peace, and one can clearly feel the woman's deep sleep. Her right hand, wearing a long glove that she has not taken off, rests inertly against her thigh. Behind her, the figure of the artist can be seen with a half-smile on his face. He hugs her gently or just leans in. In his left hand, almost disappearing into the shadows, is the glow of a lit cigar. The painter, dressed in a dark evening suit, almost merges with the black background. The unseen light source in the painting, placed somewhere in the upper left corner, brightly illuminates the woman’s face, right shoulder, and upper chest. The cheek and temple of the grey-haired elderly gentleman are also clearly visible. Perhaps this is to allow the viewer to perceive the tenderness in his expression and the eyes gazing from slightly closed lids (interestingly!) at the viewer. It is as if he wants his expression to be noticed and understood. In this play of light and shadow, characteristic of his earlier works, the break in the overly intense contrast is provided by the colourful fabric in rusty-green tones. The muted yellow added to the curtain pattern helps to bring out the beautiful complexion of the young woman's body and the grey-white colours of the dress with a blue undertone.
Bolesław Jan Czedekowski (1885–1969) was a Polish painter born in Voinyliv, in Eastern Galicia. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and later became a student of Professor Kazimierz Pochwalski and Heinrich von Angeli, two renowned portrait painters. He opened his first studio in Vienna and was perhaps most associated with this city during his early artistic career. He also lived in Vienna during World War I, gradually gaining recognition for his portraits of aristocratic women and the wives of high-ranking officers. He exhibited his art in Vienna, Paris, Warsaw, and Kraków, though it was not initially well-received in Poland. After World War II, he immigrated to the United States. In the 1960s, he returned to Vienna, where he passed away on 8 July 1969. He was buried in Lofer, near Salzburg. Czedekowski was married twice. His first marriage, to Viennese Eugenia Nell in 1913, resulted in a daughter named Helena. As a widower, he met Hertha Aujezdecky, who became his second wife and, after the artist's death, the donor of numerous canvases collected in the Łańcut museum.
Dorota Błoniarz
Author / creator
Object type
painting
Technique
olej
Material
canvas, oil-color
Creation / finding place
Owner
Muzeum - Zamek w Łańcucie
Identification number
Location / status
Castle Museum in Łańcut
Castle Museum in Łańcut
20th century
Castle Museum in Łańcut
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National Museum in Szczecin
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