oil on plywood, 43 × 27.5 cm (inside the mat)
signed lower left: “MUTER”
Sticker on the reverse: GALERIE SELECTION/ TABLEAUX DE MAITRES CONTEMPORAINS/ TUNIS – Tunisia
Exhibited:
– “From Renoir to Chagall: 100 Years of Painting,” July 8–September 2, 2025, Manes Gallery, Prague
Reproduced in:
- M. Ottavi, A. Mrowiec, “From Renoir to Chagall: 100 Years of Painting,” [exhibition catalog], Prague 2025, cat. no. 47, p. 78.
“[...] Ms. M. Muterowa’s paintings were given a prominent place in the first room. [..] the landscapes from the South have a life of their own—extraordinarily focused, taut, and painful in their tension, yet without a trace of resignation or passive despair [...]”. E. Woroniecki, “Polish Artists at the Paris Salon,” *Tygodnik Ilustrowany* 1924, no. 7, p. 100 After the outbreak of World War II, Mela Muter left Paris and traveled to the south of France. She initially settled in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, and then in Avignon. There, she took up residence at 12 Rue Velonterie. She worked at the College Saint-Marie, a girls’ school, where she taught drawing, literature, and art history. Avignon became very dear to the artist. After the war ended, Melania returned to Paris, but in the summer she went back to Avignon. There, the city authorities offered the artist an apartment at 24 Quai de la Linge, located at the foot of the papal palace and gardens. In Avignon itself, the artist held solo exhibitions, including ones in 1948 and 1958. For Meli Muter, the landscapes of the Rhône Valley, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, and Avignon itself were an undeniable source of inspiration. The very views of the cityscape from the nearby hills, as well as its picturesque streets and historic landmarks, appeared time and again in the artist’s paintings, which were bathed in rich, saturated colors. In addition to Avignon’s distinctive fortification walls, historic monuments, and stone bridges, she often depicted the ordinary streets of the medieval city—a splendid example of which is the painting presented here.
Source of additional photo: Avignon, Rue de la Carreterie, early 20th century. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_Carreterie#/media/Datei:Avignon_tramway_rue_Carreterie.jpg accessed on April 14, 2025
