The piano created by American-German piano company Steinway & Sons, was hand-painted by renowned portrait painter and world-class concert pianist Paul Wyse and its price is now $2,5 million.
About five years ago, the president of the esteemed piano company Steinway & Sons approached Ottawa-area visual artist Paul Wyse with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
While Wyse is best known as a portrait artist, Steinway asked him to create what’s known as an “art case” piano for the company, meaning a unique instrument that’s as much a vision of beauty as it is a music-maker.
Hand-Painted Piano by Paul Wyse
It took more than 4 years to be complete the opulent 2.7 meter piano case. The piece of art draws inspiration from Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s well-known masterpiece Photos at an Exhibition – a 10-movement suite depicting Mussorgsky’s tour of the memorial exhibition of his greatest buddy and artist-architect Viktor Hartmann, who handed away on the age of 39.
Hand-Painted Piano by Paul Wyse
The piano – with rosewood keys and a gold plated music desk and pedals – incorporates a lid painted with a Russian countryside panorama and the Nice Gate of Kiev. The outer rim is adorned with oil work with 24ct gold leaf highlights, portraying individuals appreciating artworks in a museum.
Hand-Painted Piano by Paul Wyse
The grand piano and the piano chair are not just a pleasure to the eyes. The piano was built to the musical specifications and standards that the brand has been known for since it was founded in 1853.
Hand-Painted Piano by Paul Wyse
