Magical world of fairy tales
A tale is a story about magical characters and events that reflects people's beliefs, views, and interpersonal relationships. Literary tales were popularized in Europe thanks to, among others, works by Perrault, Brothers Grimm, as well as an anthology of Arabic stories under the title "The Thousand and One Nights" adapted by Galland. Fairy tales were later spread by the Romantic movement and became a separate literary genre, with Andersen's tales being particularly noteworthy. This year's December auction will take us to the world of fairy tales.
The theme of the conflict between good and evil, the search for one's purpose in life, and the subsequent stages of a hero's transformation will all be presented to you... Over time, literary fairy tales have become popular art themes, which gave rise to this truly magical selection of works at our December auction. Unique characters, a flying ship, and magical animals! The collected paintings show proud heroes, known to a wider audience from various fairy tales.
Let's start with the classics. Most people have probably heard the story of a prince who was transformed into a frog and could only regain his human form with the kiss of a princess. The painting by Konrad Hamada, under the telling title "Kiss Me Princess" shows a frog in a crown and a woman lost in thoughts, probably gauging whether she should kiss the frog in a crown or not.
When discussing the theme of the so-called royals, it's impossible not to mention Tomasza Sętowski's painting "King and Queen" and the figurines of the King and Queen by the same author.
The painting by Mariusz Lewandowski presents a speeding carriage with coachmen, which is reminiscent of Cinderella's midnight escape from the ball. In turn, a stunningly beautiful, red-haired mermaid is looking at us from Edi Sen's painting. She is sitting calmly against the background of a rough sea. We see a sinking ship behind her back, probably with a charming prince on board, whom the mermaid will rescue. Or maybe won't? Furthermore, one can recognize a magical Aladdin's lamp in Janusz Kulikowski's painting titled "Waiting for Ifryt." We can also see here a mysterious figure with a raven on his shoulder.
The painting by Wojtek Siudmak, presenting a beautiful crystal, is almost hypnotizing and invites us to another dimension. Despite the work's simple form and lack of lengthy stories or allusions to fairy tales, one may still feel the magic emanating from the crystal.
In his painting, Dawid Porada presented an even more intriguing vision. The canvas shows a naked woman in a wig à la Maria Antonina, sitting against the ruins of a demolished city. We see pegasi and birds holding trees on strings in their beaks in the background! Not to mention the huge top hat, on which the main character is comfortably sitting! It appears as though the Mad Hatter dreamed up this vision.
The Hatter, widely referred to as the Mad Hatter, is an iconic character that appeared in the book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. He was famous for his passion for drinking tea and asking nonsense questions, especially his riddle without an answer: "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" In the original illustrations by John Tenniel, the Hatter is depicted wearing a cylinder similar to the one in Daniel Porada's painting, but with a note that reads: "10/6," signifying the price: 10 shillings and 6 pence. One should ask a question: why was the Hatter such an eccentric? What made him act so weird?
The answer can be found in his line of work, which gave rise to the character's name. The English idiom "as mad as a hatter," which refers to someone acting foolishly or insane, is often associated with the Hatter. The connotation of madness and the hatter is also related to the history of hat-making. Hatters used mercury to make felt, and the poisonous fumes from the mercury caused a condition known as "mad hatter syndrome."Let's remember the Mad Hatter and his fascinating story when we enjoy our cups of tea!
We easily figured out the artists' inspirations in their works. "Alice in Wonderland," "Aladdin," or "Little Mermaid." These are unforgettable tales full of magic, dreams, and mystery. They are filled with nostalgia as well as a lot of hope for a better future. As a result, everyone, without exception, wants to find themselves in this fantastic realm, tear themselves away from the gray reality, and experience happiness once more, just as they did when they first learned about fairy tales.