Hôtel de Russie in Lviv - fragment of a hotel bill
CATALOGUE ENTRY
Prints and drawings
about 1832
Lithograph, paper
9.5 x 12.5 cm
Wil.4684
Hôtel de Russie was founded in 1793 by George Hofmann as the first such venue in Lwów. Today, this site is occupied by the famous Hotel George, one of the most conspicuous buildings in the former capital of Galicia. Built in 1901, it played host to such celebrated guests as Honoré de Balzac, Franz Liszt, Maurice Ravel or Jean Paul Sartre. A famous episode in the hotel’s history was an unofficial performance given by Jan Kiepura (the famous tenor), who during his stay in Lwów sang from one of the balconies.
The bill for staying at Hôtel de Russie undoubtedly possesses a number of artistic and documentary assets. The lithograph reflects the appearance of the hotel and its direct surrounding. Admirable concern for the aesthetic aspect of such an ordinary print as a hotel bill is characteristic for the nineteenth century. Its presence amongst preserved Wilanów souvenirs is explained by a brief text on the reverse: Souvenir of my dear husband’s stay in Lwów in 1832.
Marta Gołąbek
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