199. After the Bath

Frederic Storck's work is paradoxically noteworthy for its unity as well as its diversity. The artist possesses a unique understanding of the material he works with, which allows him to experiment successfully across various mediums. Frederic Storck comes from a family of artists; his father (Karl Storck) and brother (Carol Storck) were also sculptors. He spent his childhood among his father's sculptures in his studio. He grew up amongst two established artists and began his artistic journey by deciphering drawing mysteries. He attended the School of Fine Arts in Bucharest, where he was a classmate of Stefan Luchian. Afterwards, he joined the academic environment in Munich and participated in the Glaspalast exhibition, where he won an award. In Bavaria, he realized the importance of anatomical study and working from live models, leading to a series of sculptures intended to enable the artist to experiment with accurate reproduction of bodily details. Interested in mastering the properties of his chosen material, he would personally cut stone or marble, bringing him closer to his materials. After returning to his home country, he received several orders for busts, of which we can mention those of Heliade Radulescu and Spiru Haret, as well as peasant heads made outside of commissions. From 1906, he became a professor at the School of Fine Art, introducing students to the world of drawing and modeling. He chose a classical approach, distancing himself from academic tendencies and dedicated a whole series of his efforts to smaller works where he focused on the human subject. A version of his work "Lady with the Cat" can be found in the collection of the "Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cutescu-Storck" art museum, while another version is part of the National Cotroceni Museum collection. We note the female character, nude and seated on a pedestal, her torso slightly turned to the right, her hands in a muff. The cat sits before the woman, looking at her intently. The cat's presence evokes Egyptian art - Egyptians revered cats as magical, luck-bringing creatures that also represented the power of the gods. The cat, therefore, becomes a symbol of divinity and protection. The appearance of cats in art spans the furthest reaches of time: from cave paintings centered on this subject, to tomb drawings, to sculptures of the goddess Bastet - Bastet, the daughter of the sun god (Ra), was the goddess of the moon and fertility, the protector of cats, often depicted as a cat - dating back to 600 BC.

References

OPRESCU, Gheorghe, "Fritz Storck", State Publishing House for Literature and Art, Bucharest, 1955.

Dimensions

depth 13 cm, width 5 cm, height 13.5 cm

Description

bronz patinat, signed, dated and the foundry mentioned on the back, "F. Storck, V. Pașcani Commercial Foundry, Bucharest, 1908"

Research information

A version of the work is in the collection of the "Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck" art museum.

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