Jacek Malczewski | |
|---|---|
 Self-portrait with palette, 1892 | |
| Born | 15 July 1854 Radom,Congress Poland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 8 October 1929(1929-10-08) (aged 75) |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Symbolism |
| Spouse | Marianée Garlewska |
| Children | 2, includingRafał |
.jpg)
Jacek Malczewski (Polish:[ˈjat͡sɛkmalˈt͡ʂɛfskʲi]ⓘ; 15 July 1854 – 8 October 1929) was a Polishsymbolist painter who was one of the central figures of the patrioticYoung Poland movement.
His works combined the predominant style of his time with historical motifs of Polishmartyrdom, theromantic aspiration for national independence,Christian andGreek mythology, folk tales, and his love of the natural world.[1][2]
He was the father of painterRafał Malczewski.[3]
Malczewski was born inRadom,Congress Poland, under occupation of the Russian Empire.[4] During his childhood and early youth he was greatly influenced by his father Julian, a Polish patriot and social activist who introduced him to the world of romantic literature inspired by theNovember Uprising. On his mother's side, he was related to theSzymanowski family whom they often visited on theirMasovian country estate inCygów. The attractiveness of the Polish landscape and associatedfolklore had been awakened in him by Feliks Karczewski, his uncle and long-time guardian, who had invited future novelistAdolf Dygasiński to his estate, to act as Jacek's home tutor.[1]
Malczewski moved toKraków at age 17, and began his artistic education in 1872 under the watchful eye of Polish painter and draughtsman,Leon Piccard [fr] and attended his first art classes in the workshop ofWładysław Łuszczkiewicz, at theSchool of Fine Arts. A year later, in 1873, assessed byJan Matejko himself, Malczewski formally enrolled at the School, and studied with Łuszczkiewicz, Feliks Szynalewski andFlorian Cynk. In 1876 he went toParis and studied for a year at theÉcole des Beaux-Arts, in the studio ofHenri Lehmann. He next moved to theAcadémie Suisse.[1][4]
Malczewski had already begun master classes with Jan Matejko in 1875 before embarking on the trip to France, and completed them in 1879 after his return from abroad. In spite of considerable stylistic differences between them, Malczewski was greatly influenced by Matejko's historical painting filled withneo-romantic metaphor and patriotic themes. In 1879, Malczewski completed a course in composition under Matejko.[5] He was equally impressed with the dramatic art of earlier Polish romantic painterArtur Grottger. His painting revolved around a few carefully selected motifs, constantly retold and expanded according to mythology and filled with national symbols. His own imagination enabled Malczewski to channel his creativity and let new aesthetic ideas emerge, giving rise to what became Poland's school of Symbolism.[1]
Over the course of some 30 years between 1885 and 1916, Malczewski regularly visited Paris,Munich andVienna. He made several trips toItaly,Greece andTurkey. He also took part in an archaeological expedition organized by his friendKarol Lanckoroński. He drew his inspiration from a wide variety of sources, often exotic or biblical, and translated them back into Polish folklore, tradition and motifs in his own painting.[2] His most famous canvases includeBłędne koło (Vicious Circle, 1895–97),Melancholia (1890–1894),Natchnienie malarza (Painter's Muse, 1897),Wizja (A vision, 1912), theThanatos series, andBajki (Fables). Many of his paintings prominently feature self-portraits in elaborate costume, a trademark of his style, often displaying a great sense of self-mocking humour.[1][2]
In 1897–1900 and 1912–1921 Malczewski served as professor of theAcademy of Fine Arts in Kraków.[6] He was elected rector of the academy in 1912.[7] His art has been compared to that of the FrenchmanGustave Moreau, the SwissArnold Böcklin, and even to the SpaniardSalvador Dalí. His paintings won numerous awards at international exhibitions includingBerlin in 1891, Munich in 1892, and Paris in 1900.[1][2][8]
Malczewski was married to Marianée Garlewska and they had two children, Julia (born 1888) and Rafał (born 1892), also a painter. His son later sold off all of his father's works left to him, to theNational Museum in Warsaw beforeWorld War II. During the war he left Poland and after travels in Southern Europe andBrazil, finally settled inMontreal.
It is believed that the subject of numerous nude studies in Jacek Malczewski's paintings,Maria Bal (Balowa)née Brunicka, was also his long-time lover.[9] He lost his sight towards the end of his life and died in Kraków on 8 October 1929. He was buried atSkałka, Poland's nationalPanthéon.[4]
In November 2022, Malczewski's 1908oil-on-canvas painting entitledReality (Polish:Rzeczywistość) was sold at DESA Unicumauction house in Warsaw for 17 millionzlotys (€3.6 million) setting a new record for the most expensive painting sold on the Polish art market.[10] The sale of the piece remains on hold after doubts were raised about the legal status of this property as theNational Museum in Warsaw claims ownership of the work of art. The painting was last seen in public in 1926 inLwów (now Lviv, Ukraine). Its later whereabouts were unknown. The PolishMinistry of Culture and National Heritage reported to the police authorities that the painting could have been illegally taken from Poland in the 1950s.[11]
.jpg)
Filled with erotic undertones the existentialist trend in Malczewski's art revealed his deep attachment to Polish tradition and his fascination with legend and folklore (Polish: Nasycony erotycznymi podtekstami, egzystencjalny nurt w twórczości Malczewskiego... dawał wyraz zakorzeniania artysty w rodzimej tradycji, jego fascynacji ludowymi legendami i baśniami.)
[He produced] paintings showingMadonnas with faces and figures characteristic of the type of beauty that in Malczewski's times could be seen in the villages scattered along theVistula river...
Encyklopedia Powszechna PWN, Warsaw 1974.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
