Stanisław Wyspiański (1869 Kraków - 1907 there), View of the Old Town in Dresden, 1890.

pastel, paper on cardboard, 30.7 × 47 cm
Signed monogrammed and dated p. d.: Dr[e]zn[o] | SW 1890.

Accompanying the work are expert opinions by Ms. Marta Romanowska and Ms. Elżbieta Charazińska
"The color scheme, perfectly captured perspective and discrete dynamics of the foreground testify to drawing from nature but the smoky part behind the bridge remains a mystery. At the time when this work was created, the 21-year-old artist had a mature and perfectly mastered technique. One of his invariable traits was drawing from a model. Here the model was a section of the city where the artist stayed for a week. [...] The work in question is situated among the studies from the 1890 trip and is the most mature study of landscape in that year, full of excellent drawing work. [...] The artist returned to extensive views of water in Paris. Drawn in charcoal, this excellent view of the Pont-Neuf is similar in composition to the earlier "Bridge from the Elbe." One can venture to say that our view from Dresden prepared the artist for this Parisian work. The already numerous pastels from 1893 repeat the same original tonality of very bright spring green rarely used in later works. Also analogous is the method of laying down the pastel with fine hatching using rubbings. The theme of water in a vast melancholic landscape also appeared in the Paris period. The artist possessed the ability to perfectly notate architectural solids in both detailed drawing and cursory sketching. The notation of the masses of historic buildings as seen from across the Augustus Bridge is not surprising. The record of the ant crowd on the river frontage is reminiscent of the artist's sketches of Kazimierz in Cracow noted in his sketchbook in 1882." (excerpt from Ms. Marta Romanowska's expert opinion) From the Author's letters to Tadeusz Stryjeński, August 1890: "[...] very extensive in Dresden, part of the city on the Elbe very beautiful - resembles Paris in size and layout. [...] Zwinger with its buildings resembles magnificent theatrical decorations. [Yesterday I was at Hamlet, played not at all well. The opera house (edifice) magnificent inside, the curtain is not bad. You can not be bored at all in the city, so many beautiful children's heads on the river bank, you can draw with pleasure. The gallery is magnificent with its paintings [...] I like the Rubens here more than elsewhere (Munchen, Paris) because they are somehow leaner and more slender [...] And the museum building itself is delicious - it reminds me of Louvre, and those few sculptures on the main pavilion where the entrance hall is located are very beautiful, so much expression in the faces. Perseus with the gorgon's head - Apollo with the hydra, Judith's head and all her posture."