70 - Leszek Nowosielski (1918–1999)

Leszek Nowosielski (1918–1999) Bust portrait, 1967. Ceramic, signed and dated on the underside. Height: 67 cm. This totemic sculpture embodies the technical mastery of one of the leading figures of the postwar Polish ceramic school. The vigorous sculptural treatment of the earthenware, characterized by a rough texture and thick reliefs imitating bark or stone, contrasts skillfully with the stylized face emerging from a pointed headdress. A leading figure in the Polish art scene alongside his wife Hanna Modrzewska-Nowosielska, Nowosielski made his mark on the institutional landscape; his decorative art pieces were notably selected by the state to be presented to foreign dignitaries during official visits, such as General De Gaulle. Now housed in Poland’s most prestigious collections—from the National Museum in Warsaw to the National Museum in Wrocław— the artist’s unique, handcrafted three-dimensional works are enjoying a marked resurgence of historical interest on the European art market, standing in the proud tradition of modern Eastern European sculptural exploration.