Feliks Topolski

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The newly crowned Queen from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth by Feliks Topolski (2nd part, 5th panel). This is the image I had been looking for to illustrate this post.

Topolski's mural at Buckingham Palace is in 2 parts. The first shows the street procession. The second part, on the wall facing the first part, is the ceremony at Westminster Abbey divided into 6 sections placed between windows. The height of the mural is given as 4 feet. I don't know if the mural was hung high or at eye level.



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second part (in black and white)


second panel (in black and white)


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a closer detail of the second panel of the second part. To the right, I think unmistakably, is Winston Churchill amongst what the caption says are some of the Commonwealth's prime ministers.


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detail of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth by Feliks Topolski (2nd part, 4th panel).

Pics scanned from an old Horizon Magazine (November 1960). The writer assures the reader that the "elegance, wit, désinvolture, and almost reckless impressionism of Topolski's style has produced something far more dashing than the usual stodgy commemorative painting." So true.

Especially the désinvolture. Topolski probably carried a backpack full of désinvolture where ever he went. Hopefully, a waterproof backpack so none of it would leak out. Of course, some people might object to his désinvolture. I imagine some are even outraged he would take his désinvolture out in public. Perhaps I too would object if I had to sit on a bus next to Topolski and his désinvolture on a hot day. (The writer surely wouldn't use a French word simply to be pretentious when a word in English would suffice, so I'm assuming "désinvolture" is french for "disemboweled vulture".)


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first part (in black and white)

Note the almost complete lack of architecture or scenery — it is limited to the important things : the people.

It is fun and exuberant stuff. At least I think so. A few years ago I saw a Topolski book "Fourteen Letters" on sale at the book store. I bought 2 extra copies and proceeded to present it to people I thought would appreciate his work. The people I had in mind refused it. Eventually I found other people I thought would like it and each time it's been refused. Apparently, I am a terrible evangelist.

I'll have to put this book on my list. But just one copy.

This article says Topolski was commissioned because the Duke of Edinburgh knew Topolski socially — not necessarily because of the art.

This bit is amusing (from the article above) :

He did not comment on Topolski’s excellent likeness of Queen Mary, nor on the less easily identifiable one of his uncle Lord Mountbatten, but paused before that of Jomo Kenyatta and recalled the day he and the Queen presented Kenya with its independence. “It took place in a football stadium,” he said. “The Kenyan flag went up, and there was a hiatus. There was silence for about two minutes. And I said to him, ‘Are you sure you want to go through with this?’ — which failed to be seen as a joke by some of the Kenyan listeners.”

LOL