Julian FAŁAT (1853 - 1929), Landscape from Osiek

watercolor, gouache, cardboard; 34.5 x 74 cm;
signed and inscribed l. d.: JFałat / Osiek
On the reverse:
- inscription: 1953
- stamps

Provenance:
private collection, Poland

Osiek, where the artist repeatedly stayed at the estate of his friends Gabriela and Oskar Rudzinski (from the 1890s until the interwar period), was among the most important inspirations for his landscape works. The works created there come from an outstanding period of his artistic activity. The motifs of Osieck's ponds, canals and winter floodplains recurred in his watercolors, becoming one of the most recognizable themes of his paintings.

A perfect example is this charming landscape in a winter setting. The panoramic shot, with its elongated format, leads the viewer's gaze deep into space through the diagonally running current of water, contrasting with the bright, almost monochromatic plane of snow. The delicate range of blues and grays, broken by accents of brown and green, builds up the artist's characteristic mood of silence and contemplation of nature. The ascetic, almost empty landscape was depicted by the artist in the fullness of the winter sun, freely operating with a wide spot of color.