God's Creatures
God's Creatures is a 1913 oil on canvas painting by Eugen von Blaas, an Austro/Italian artist born in Italy to Austrian parents. Von Blaas, also known as Eugene de Blaas or Eugenio Blaas, had been largely taught to paint by his father, himself a painter, and adopted a style described as Academic Classicism.
In June 2020 this particular work, held in a private collection, was being auctioned by Sothebys, making full use of internet bidding, with a starting bid of 70,000 GBP. It features a Catholic nun gazing meditatively from a balcony at a flock of swallows. Any meaning or symbolism in the work may be largely explained by von Blaas' heartfelt religious convictions. Nuns feature in several of his works.
