Expressionist Portrait. Pastel on paper; inscribed Witkacy; dated 1929; drug notation visible; in contemporary frame. Portrait with wild hair and striking blue eyes showing psychological intensity. 1929 date places it five years after founding of portrait firm. Bold use of orange; blue; and black. Dramatic expressionist quality. Vintage Polish publications attached to the back of this painting. Attributed to Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy). Currently under review for inclusion in the catalogue raisonne.

CONDITION: The pastel surface is vibrant and well-preserved with rich, saturated color throughout — the blues of the eyes and background, the warm reds and oranges of the flesh, and the dark brown/black of the hair all read strongly. There are no visible tears, foxing, or major losses apparent from the photographs. The paper shows some slight wrinkling or undulation, particularly noticeable at the upper left, consistent with the sheet not being fully tensioned against a support. The frame shows minor wear to the lacquer finish with small scratches and nicks, and the gold inner lip shows some wear. The verso is particularly rich in provenance material: it is backed with Polish-language newspaper pages featuring visible headlines including "SZEWC I ARTYSCI" (Shoemaker and Artists), "WYSTRZEGAC SIE ROMANTYZMU" (Beware of Romanticism), "NIE DO WIARY: TRANSFUZJA KRWI" (Unbelievable: Blood Transfusion), "KONKURS Z R. 1929 I JEGO BLOGOSLAWIONE SKUTKI" (Competition from 1929 and Its Blessed Results), and "UJARZMIENIE ENERGII WÓD" (Harnessing Water Energy), along with period photographs and illustrations including what appears to be an article about the Tunguska meteorite with illustrations of meteor impacts. A crossbar support and wire hanging hardware are visible. The newspaper backing shows significant age-related yellowing, tears, and losses, particularly at the corners and along the edges, but remains largely intact and legible.

DIMENSIONS: 25 x 19 in.

PROVENANCE: Attributed to Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy). Currently under review for inclusion in the catalogue raisonne. Private collection.

• Low Estimate: 50000.00
• High Estimate: 75000.00