Eugen von Blaas

Williams and Sons, London

Eugen von Blaas’ lively scenes of the working class women of Venice present some of that city’s’ most carefree and pleasant citizens at ease with themselves, and in harmony with their own surroundings.  The four paintings by von Blaas from the Peter V. Guarisco Collection each share a different aspect of the artist’s favorite subject, and showcase his prodigious talent for capturing his sitters in vivid detail.  Whether engaged in the fulfilling task of teaching an eager young pupil to knit (see lot 55) or pausing from a taxing chore such as washing linens (see lot 51), von Blaas’ women combine their innate strength and character with the impetuous, romantic impulses of the young and beautiful.  In Daydreaming by the Shore (lot 54), we see a wistful maiden staring off to sea.  She is not burdened by her heavy baskets of goods (which contain chickens, and apples) but rather rests her chin upon the yoke, balancing the symbol of her daily labor against her thoughtful pose.  These are not the fair damsels of Frédéric Soulacroix (see lots 115, and 116), swathed in silk and with few worldly cares beyond the gossip of the day and the attentions of ardent suitors.  Still, von Blaas allowed his viewer to glimpse his beautiful maidens during their most introspective moments.

In the present lot, Serenade, we catch a glimpse of the iconic skyline of Venice, a very rare sight in the works of von Blaas, who preferred to paint the ancient city's humbler sights: her cobblestone streets, crumbling fountains and shallow doorways.  The Campanile and Piazza San Marco seem to shimmer as in a dream among the cool, light-toned bands that make up the horizon line.  The eye is drawn to the brightly clothed women, who are the audience of the serenade, and their thoughtful, slightly melancholic expressions hint at their relationship to the water beyond them.  As the maidens on the right work to mend an enormous net, the viewer cannot help but wonder to what distant spot the fishermen have sailed, and whether they will return safely with the riches of the sea, or empty handed.

The attention devoted to depicting the color-dabbed corsets, floral aprons, scraps of laundry, twisted neckerchiefs, and even the enormous fishing net, mounded in the foreground, illustrates von Blaas’ interest in capturing the smallest details with maximum impact and clarity, elevating each scene beyond the every day.  His charming and intimate works are known for their brilliant still life renderings, and their sense of exuberance; the works from the Peter V. Guarisco collection certainly showcase the artist’s virtuosity.  But whatever narrative he chooses for his captivating subjects, one thing is certain: the women painted by von Blaas are never helpless or merely decorative.  They are woven into the fabric of that most dynamic and teeming of cities: Venice.