(Vienna 1933–1997)
“Europa”, in connection with the faiences “Die Kontinente” executed for the former University of Economics Vienna (Augasse), signed Leherb, mixed media with gold paint on cardboard, 62.3 x 67.3 cm framed

Provenance:
Directly from the artist, Collection of the architect of the former University of Economics Vienna
where acquired by the current owner in 2008-
Private Collection, Austria

Being a dandy is a “phenomenon” that is difficult to define, wrote Baudelaire in his famous essay. It is apparently “no less peculiar than the duel”. Nevertheless, he describes it as being very old and widespread. “No less peculiar than the duel!” The image fits particularly well with Leherb’s aggressive approach to being a dandy. Conversely, his work is also a continuation of this “peculiar duel”, of this specific, inimitable dandyism, as inimitable as – following Bastide – every work by a scorpion within these creative dialectics. And Leherb is a worker who is just as fanatical as he is exacting. He is impulsive, but also precise; temperamental in his improvised drafts; careful, or even pedantic in his work with a versatile artistic material, whether canvas and paint, fabric and stones, metal or feathers, ceramic or crystal, wax or wood, ashes or gold.

Gustav René Hocke
Excerpt from the essay “Leherb sur la Balance cosmique” in: “Leherb – Le Monde d’un surréaliste”, Edition Arcade, Paris-Brussels, and Skira-Weber, Geneva 1972

Leherb created the fayence painting “The Continents” in Faenza (Italy) between 1980 and 1992. These six works are each eight by eight metres in size, and were created for Vienna’s University of Economics. They are the largest majolica paintings of this century.