Olga Wisinger-Florian

(Vienna 1844–1926 Grafenegg)
The Elm-Lined Promenade in Euxinograd, Bulgaria, oil on board, 32 x 48 cm, unframed

We are grateful to Dr. Alexander Giese for kindly confirming the authenticity on basis of the original.

The present lot will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné.

The Elm Alley at Euxinograd is one of the artist’s most successful motifs. The path between Varna on the Black Sea and the palace of the Bulgarian King Ferdinand I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was likely walked multiple times by the painter during her summer stay, invited by the king. And each time, she stopped at the same spot, just before the curve of the path, where the shadows of the trees stretch particularly long across the road.

This version of the theme seems to have been created on a stormy day. The artist had little time to muse and only a piece of cardboard at hand, with clouds already pushing out the little blue of the sky and a strong wind disheveling the leaves and red poppies. More quickly than usual, the painter captures this particular mood before a storm, applying the colors in a gestural manner, and in the end, scratching hectic contours with her brush handle. The unusually expressive depiction of an exciting impression distinguishes this study in a special way.