ARCA OC OSA
1927 - 1977
Canadian
The Ride of the Valkyries
graphite on paper on board
signed and on verso titled "The Ride of the Valkyries after Wagner" on a label and inscribed "The Valkyries were come for the chosen"
10 3/8 x 13 1/4 in, 26.4 x 33.7 cm
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CAD
Sold for: $5,313
Preview at:
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the Artist by Father Thomas Lynch, England
By descent to the present Private Collection, England
LITERATURE
Patricia Morley, Kurelek, A Biography, 1988, page 438
Andrew Kear, William Kurelek: Life and Work, Art Canada Institute, 2017, page 59
Lots 217, 218 and 219 are consigned from the family of Father Thomas Lynch, who played an important role in the life and art of William Kurelek. Please click here for further information.
Over the course of their friendship, William Kurelek produced drawings and paintings for Father Lynch that were personally revealing. This drawing is a visual representation of an iconic piece of music from Richard Wagner’s opera The Valkyries. Father Lynch was a music enthusiast and introduced Kurelek to classical pieces, which the artist enjoyed playing while he sketched. In Norse mythology, the Valkyries were female messengers of the god Odin who would decide the fates of soldiers in battle. The Valkyries would take their chosen soldiers to Valhalla, the hall of the slain in the afterlife, ruled by the god Odin. In this work, they are seen along the top right, on their flying horses. In her important biography on Kurelek, Patricia Morley explains that “The Ride of the Valkyries in graphite is a Germanic version of the Last Judgement, an apocalyptic scene executed with incredible energy and detail.” Kurelek’s skill, as well as the influence of Bruegel is evident in this depiction of the energetic scene. This rare, early graphite demonstrates Kurelek’s drawing and draftsmanship skills, which are considered the foundations of his practice.
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