Lot 213 D

The motif of the family occupies an important place in Mela Muter's oeuvre. This is understandable on account of the painful loss of her son at the age of just 21. The present painting is also filled with a certain melancholy and simultaneously with great intensity. In spite of the dynamic composition, the work possesses a certain calm solidity that reveals the artist's very distinctive personal style. The thickly applied and vibrant brushstroke, sometimes reminiscent of Cézanne or Van Gogh, is typical for Muter's late Impressionist work. The characters she portrayed are depicted in an unidealised and authentic manner that demonstrates the artist's exceptional capacity for empathy. Mela Muter emigrated from Poland to Paris and soon became known as a portrait artist. The works of this self-confident female painter found their way into the Salons of Paris very quickly. She painted not only famous figures like the Picasso publisher Vollard or the composer Roussel, but also many individuals on whom life had left its mark and who came from the impoverished milieu in which she was particularly interested.