Bruno Schulz

Acquired by the original owner in Poland before 1939
Thence by descent to the present owner

Not examined out of frame. In generally good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The Art of Bruno Schulz

Born to a wealthy family in Drohobycz, Poland, Bruno Schulz studied architecture at the Lvov Polytechnic. Both a writer and an artist, in the 1920s he began working on the illustrations for The Booke of Idolatry, depicting a world of desire and temptation. His work remained largely overlooked until he gained recognition following the publication in 1933 of his novel Cinnamon Shops, titled in English The House of Crocodiles. This was followed three years later by the novel Sanatorium under the Sign of the Hourglass. He assisted his fiancée with a translation into Polish of Kafka’s The Trial, and in 1938, he was awarded the Polish Academy of Literature's prestigious Golden Laurel award. During WWII he and the other Jews of Drohobycz were forced into a ghetto and almost the entire community was eventually exterminated at the Belzec concentration camp. While initially protected by a German officer who admired his work, Schulz was shot in the street by another German office in 1942.

In the 1970’s his work was rediscovered through a series of exhibitions in France and in Belgium. Schulz is now considered one of the giants of 20^th Century Polish literature and art.