Lot description
oil on canvas 54,6 x 64,6 cm signed lower left: "TOYEN" Provenance: – collection Toyen – significant private collection of French-Lebanese origin. The painting was bought by the grandparents of the current owner directly from Toyen in Paris around 1950. They personally knew the painter very well and their friends’ circle also included André Breton, Paul Eluard and Julien Green. – private collection Beirut- Paris Vladimir Lekes commented on the provenance: ‘‘Being able to offer the painting Serenade at our auction in spite of the fact that all important works by Toyen are well documented is a testament to the fact that miracles sometimes happen. Once, as I was waiting for my connection at the Marseille airport shortly after the record-breaking auction of Autumn 2020, when we sold a different oil on canvas by Toyen La Dame de Pique to the collection of the National Museum of Qatar for 79 million CZK, I was contacted by an international broadcasting radio station. They asked me for an interview covering the auction and I agreed. The current owner of the painting, who is based in Beirut, coincidentally heard the interview and subsequently reached out to me to enter the painting into our next auction.’’ The renowned expert on Toyen’s oeuvre Dr Karel Srp welcomed the discovery of this painting previously unknown to the public and last exhibited in 1926 in Paris: ‘‘This is the single most important discovery of this year…’’ Exhibited: – L´art d´aujourd´hui (The Art of Today), La chambre syndicale et des Beaux arts, Paris, 27. 11.–10. 12. 1926, catalogue number 27 The expertise by Dr Karel Srp, recognized expert, author of Toyen’s monograph book and a curator of a number of Toyen’s exhibitions worldwide, attached. Consulted and authenticated with Dr Karel Srp, Professor Jaromir Zemina, Dr Jiri Machalicky and Vladimir Lekes. A restorer’s report by Mag Tomas Berger, attached. From a restorer’s point of view, this painting is in original condition.
