Tribute To Lola Montez, By Charles Cerny 1960

Still Life with Portrait of Lola Montez, oil on canvas by Charles Cerny, 1960.
Dimensions with frame: 80 x 70 cm.

This composition is in the tradition of illusionistic still life, where trompe-l'œil effects are used, and each object is rendered with great precision. On a tabletop, the artist arranges a richly decorated box open to reveal a sewing kit, colorful ribbons, a small embroidered bag, a porcelain cup inscribed "To Friendship," a hair arrangement in a round frame, and a 19th-century clock with twisted columns.
To the left, a small photographic portrait particularly catches the eye. It depicts Lola Montez, based on a well-known photograph of her taken shortly before her death. A famous 19th-century dancer and courtesan, she was a romantic figure associated with King Ludwig I of Bavaria, with whom she had an affair. Faced with scandal, she went into exile in the United States, where she was adored. This detail introduces a romantic and historical dimension to the composition, evoking memory, a fascination with free and scandalous female figures, and the collector's taste for intimate mementos.
The director Max Ophuls drew on the life of Lola Montez to make a film that has become a classic of cinema.

Charles Cerny (1892-1965) learned engraving and began working in this field in 1910. In 1911, he won a painting competition and was encouraged by F.A. Subert, a member of the Academy of Arts and Letters, and F.X. Harlas, painter and art critic, to pursue formal studies in painting. He trained in Vienna and Munich before moving to Paris in 1913, where he became involved in artistic circles under the patronage of Antoine Bourdelle. He exhibited for the first time at the Salon des Indépendants in March 1914.
He volunteered for the Foreign Legion and experienced the First World War in Morocco. During a leave in 1916, he married a French woman, Marie Bassinghi.
After the war, he resumed his studies at the Académie Julian in Paris, while taking on various jobs to make a living (musician, engraver, illustrator, translator…). He exhibited in numerous salons, particularly at the Salon des Indépendants (notably in 1932 and 1943), as well as in exhibitions in France and abroad, gradually gaining recognition. He was awarded the Rémy-Landeau Prize in 1942 and again in 1944.
In 1952, he was appointed official painter of the French Navy, a role that allowed him to sail aboard the Dixmude and the Georges Leygues.
He excelled in portraiture, still lifes—especially with maritime themes—and landscapes inspired by his travels, notably in Morocco, the Netherlands, and Italy.