Objects

Some of Teodor Bok's drawings grow out of a moment of carefree playfulness, and at the same time, references to the artist's private life can be found in them. This is the case in the black-and-white drawing-limer Once King Solomon Sulamitka..., a joint work by Teodor and his wife, Izabela Bok.

These are portraits of a man and a woman facing each other. The eponymous, as one might assume, King Solomon is a headset on a rod with a round stand. The man's face is drawn, with a prominent nose and protruding lower lip; his slim neck is surrounded by a collar fastened with two loops. On his head, there is a cap with earflaps and loops into which are inserted a pencil, a pen, and a spoon on top of his head. It is hardly royal headgear. On the other hand, the seductive King Sulamite displays modestly, her hair is covered with a cap and a shawl, her mouth and nose are obscured by a cloth. It is the big eyes looking at us that lure the king.

The limerick accompanying the drawing reads: Once King Solomon Sulamitka | Encouraged to play ugly | He was already in summer, she a child | What also happens in this world! | Iza B., with its rubbishy humour and erotic subtext, opens up further avenues of exploration and interpretation.

Renata Piątkowska