A first Biegas for Chicago

5/6/26 - Acquisition - Chicago, Art Institute - Enigmatic, the work intrigues before it charms, as is often the case with the still too little-known Boleslas Biegas. While the sculptor is highly renowned among admirers of the final flowering of Symbolism, he is unfortunately not yet well known to the general public. The acquisition of this plaster (ill. 1) by the American museum can therefore only help the Polish artist attain the recognition he deserves in our eyes, as both his life and his work are likely to appeal to a wide audience. Reappearing at a sale held by Bonhams Cornette de Saint-Cyr in Paris in autumn 2025, this sculpture was sold by the dealer Stuart Lochhead, well known to our readers. It is the last acquisition made by curator Emerson Bowyer, as he himself admits on his…