"Youth’s Wild Fever", to Leopold Staff (2023)Oil painting
by Eliza Kołodziej

“There’s something in youth’s wild fever,
In the rush of wind, in the beating of wings,
That’s wiser than wisdom itself,
And more knowing than reason.”
– own translation of a poem by Leopold Staff

The small tree, just a youngling, is caught between wooden poles – braces that are supposed to shape it into something proper and nice. It’s still crisp and green, yet somehow lonely. Around it stand only older trees, moved away, as if watching. There’s a quiet tension in that scene.
I saw it as a social metaphor – and definitely connected it with my own life. The adult trees felt almost hostile and judgmental toward the underling, as if their maturity made them superior. It’s a behaviour I know all too well from where I come from. I still feel it sometimes, though I value the “youth’s wild fever” above all else – above years, stability, or sense.

Painted during the Dłużew Plein Air in Poland. Exhibited at the post-plein-air exhibition and the end-of-year Academy show.

The painting is ready to hang and will be delivered in secure, multi-layered packaging, insured and tracked to ensure its safety during transport. Each work comes with a hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity, confirming its originality.

Materials used:

Oil paint on canvas

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 40 x 60 x 4cm (unframed)
• Ready to hang
• Signed certificate of authenticity
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: Flowers and plants

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