My beautiful lady

Country: Spain

Manufactory: Lladro

Date of establishment: 2004

Sculptor: Francisco Polope

Size (cm): 36*23

Porcelain Story

When meeting such women, men, as a rule, behave differently in a monotonous way. Some turn around, following with a hopeless languid look. Others (those that are younger and more temperamental), not even trying to hide their enthusiastic emotions, begin to gasp somehow loudly and ridiculously. Still others ... And still others simply indulge in pleasant memories inspired by an unexpected meeting with such a charming lady. I will say right away that I first saw this porcelain work in Valencia in April 2013. Let me explain why I remember this time so much.

In those days of the coming spring school holidays, Kyiv was just hit by almost the same heavy snowfall as this week. Maybe it was even a little stronger. Because the road to Zhuliany, from where the plane flew to Valencia, was covered up so that the cars simply sank into snowdrifts. After several attempts to board the plane and several flight cancellations, the children and I still managed to go on a short trip of just a few days to a sunny Spanish city. In Valencia, everything was as usual. Calm. Comfortable. Interesting. Once again we went around all the museums and temples. We walked along the amazing bed of the Turia River, artificially diverted away from the city center, where, on the site of the former waters, which sometimes flooded the neighborhood, they arranged a heavenly 8-kilometer promenade - with beautiful parks, gardens, sports and playgrounds. We walked around the sun-drenched squares, lined with old worn-out marble. We ate the unique Valencian paella - rice cooked in huge frying pans with seafood and pieces of chicken meat. And then we looked at the Lladro novelties in a familiar porcelain store. I also paid attention to today's work there. But somehow it didn't light up until the end. And then the following happened.

When we were already flying back to Kyiv, the flight attendants quietly warned everyone that the flight might not be easy. And not so much the flight itself, but the landing in Zhuliany. Allegedly, the dispatchers told them that heavy snowfall was again in Kyiv and visibility was almost zero. "But don't worry. We have an experienced crew. And... an excellent navigator. It will help land the plane safely"...

They landed in a continuous snow veil impenetrable by onboard searchlights. I sat at the window and saw this light, resting against the milky gray wall of snowfall. The older passengers silently crossed themselves. The little children, who had been crying throughout the flight, suddenly quieted down in unison... It was hard to even imagine how it was possible to land the plane without seeing the lights of the runway in front of you almost until the very landing.

When we surprisingly gently touched the ground and then, until the plane stopped in the parking lot, everyone continued to be silent, still not believing that the test was already over. And suddenly a beautiful slender woman in the form of a pilot with some kind of stripes on her tunic was the first to come out of the open door of the cockpit. It was her! An exact copy of the porcelain "lady" we saw in Valencia... When, after some time, I had the opportunity to purchase this work, I did not doubt for a single minute....