January Suchodolski | |
|---|---|
 January Suchodolski. Portrait byMaksymilian Fajans (after 1850) | |
| Born | (1797-09-19)19 September 1797 |
| Died | 20 March 1875(1875-03-20) (aged 77) |
| Education | Member Academy of Arts (1839) |
| Known for | Painting |
January Suchodolski (Polish:[januˈarɨsuxɔˈdɔlski]; 19 September 1797 – 20 March 1875) was aPolish painter and Army officer, and a member of theImperial Academy of Arts.
Suchodolski was born inGrodno and was the brother ofRajnold Suchodolski. He joined the WarsawCadet Corps in 1810.[1] In 1812 he stood guard on the Hotel Angielski inWarsaw whenNapoleon stayed there incognito, during his escape fromMoscow.[2][3] In 1823 he became adjutant toWincenty Krasiński a former officer in Napoleon's Army who at the time was with the Royal Regiment of Grenadier Guards. Through Krasiński's connections he got access to the Palace's art galleries, gaining exposure to military paintings particularly those ofHorace Vernet. He also gained access to Poland's leading artistic and intellectual circles meetingJulian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Woronicz, Koźmian,Franciszek Salezy Dmochowski,Antoni Edward Odyniec, and Morawski.[4] During this period he started painting pictures with military themes, particularly battles from theKościuszko Uprising and the Napoleonic wars including those in which Krasiński was involved in during thePeninsular War. He got to knowAntoni Brodowski and succeeded in an art competition with compositions called "Taking the banner of Muhammad in Vienna" and "Death of Ladislaus of Varna".
In 1830 Suchodolski and his brother Rajnold took part in theNovember Uprising. January fought at theFirst Battle of Wawer, theBattle of Olszynka Grochowska and theBattle of Iganie. In his spare time he sketched the scenes of soldiers and made portraits of his colleagues.[5]
Following the defeat of the uprising — in which his brother Rajnold died — January went toRome where he became a pupil of Horace Vernet from 1832 to 1837.[6] Here he socialised withZygmunt Krasiński, Wincenty's son,Juliusz Słowacki,Thorwaldsen,Johann Friedrich Overbeck,Peter von Cornelius, andLouis Léopold Robert. He returned to Warsaw in 1837 and was soon offered membership of theImperial Academy of Fine Arts for his painting "Siege of Akhaltsikhe". He was then invited toSt Petersburg byTsar Nicholas I to paint famous battles of the Russian Army. After returning to Poland, he next went toParis in 1844. In 1852 he moved toKraków, where he metWincenty Pol. He provided some illustrations for Pol's poem 'Mohorta'. In 1860 Suchodolski joined the committee of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts and helped set up the Museum of Fine Arts in Warsaw.[7]
January Suchodolski died inBojmie (nearSiedlce) on 20 March 1875.
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