Teresa Feodorowna Ries and The Witch

The article is based on artistic research and concerns the case of Russian woman sculptor Teresa Feodorowna Ries (1866-1956), who gained the position of a prominent artist at the time of Austro-Hungarian Empire and the First Austrian Republic. In 1938 her studio was 'Aryanised' and she had to flee to Switzerland. There are three intertwining threads in the article. The first one refers to some facts from Ries's life, that seem to be significant for the conducted research. The second concerns the fate of her sculptures during and after the Second World War, with a particular focus on The Witch (Die Hexe), which, according to the surviving documents and the opinions of art restorers, has been damaged on more than one occasion, and under varying circumstances. There are also considered possible causes of this damage, which in the opinion of the author are related to the rebellious meaning of this sculpture, both in its title and in its form of artistic expression. The last thread is an explanation of the author's interest as a contemporary Polish woman artist in Teresa Ries and her Witch. The Witch by Teresa Ries is the contradiction of a consistent image through and through. Firstly, because although we see the influence of different artistic styles in the form of this sculpture and the traces of diverse cultural traditions in its allegorical layer. Secondly, because the sculpture today is damaged and some of its parts are missing. Thus The Witch, a witness of history, of political and social changes, is an accusation against the HIStory, institutions, politics towards women (artists), and antisemitism, that support patriarchal order. However, The Witch as a representation of the character of the witch in culture has an inspiring potential for political and social changes and the emancipation of minorities