DOI Heft:
Nr. 2-4
DOI Artikel:Miziołek, Jerzy: The story of Antiochus and Stratonice by a pupil of Jacques-Louis David: the painting by Józef Oleszkiewicz in the Lithuanian Art Museum in Vilnius
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18948#0132
Brodowski, Józef Peszka (1767-1831) and, above all, Franciszek Smuglewicz
(1745-1807), the discussed painting by Oleszkiewicz and his other works from
the early period reflect an increasing interest in classical themes among artists
and art Wers in both Warsaw and Vilnius.5
1. The artist and his early work
Artistic gifts of the Samogitia-born Józef Oleszkiewicz became visible
already in his early youth when he had an opportunity to visit a gallery of the
Prozor family in Siehniewicze.'1 His first artistic works were copies of various
paintings from this collection. In 1797 this self-taught painter, approaching
twenty, entered Vilnius University, whose Department of Fine Arts had just
been created.7 Oleszkiewicz studied painting and drawing with the then
most highly acclaimed of Polish artists, Franciszek Smuglewicz/ In 1801,
Aleksander Chodkiewicz took interest in the young artist, first inviting him to
his estate in Pękalów and then, in 1803, sending him to study in Paris.
Oleszkiewicz studied in Paris, probably until 1806, together with J.S. Barthemy
and J.L. David. Many years after the return of the painter from France,
his friend Stanisław Morawski wrote in his memoirs: “Until the day he
died, Oleszkiewicz worshiped his master, David. He considered David [...]
a pure republican from the time of Brutus.”9 After a brief stay in Pękalów,
Oleszkiewicz moved to Vilnius, most probably just after Smuglewicz’s death
in 1807, where he hoped to take his chair of painting at the Department
of Fine Arts. While soliciting for this post Oleszkiewicz, on the commission of
his patron Aleksander Chodkiewicz, painted a large historical composition
titled Parting of Hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz with his Wife before the
Chocim Campaign.U) Presentation of this painting at Vilnius University in 1809
was the first public painting exhibition in the city. In spite of famę (“people
crowded [...] toward the Chodkiewicz painting as in procession”, wrote the
above-mentioned Morawski), the artist did not receive the university chair in
For the classical themes in Poland at the turn of the 18th century cf. R. Przybylski, Klasycyzm
albo prawdziwy koniec Królestwa Polskiego, Warszawa 1983. Cf. also A. Ryszkiewicz, “Smug-
lewicz, Franciszek”, in Dictionary of Art, op. cit., vol. 28, p. 892.
b Cf. Biatynicka-Birula, op. cit., p. 259-263; also E. Rastawiecki, Słownik malarzów polskich
tudzież obcych w Polsce osiadłych lub czasowo w niej przebywających, vol. 2, Warszawa 1851,
pp. 70-72; F. Rawita-Gawroński, “Józef Oleszkiewicz. Malarz i mistyk”, in idem, Studya i szkice
historyczne, series I, Lwów 1903, pp. 273-286; T. Dobrowolski, Nowoczesne malarstwo polskie,
vol. 1, Wrocław-Kraków 1957, pp. 136-139; Ryszkiewicz, op. cit., pp. 154-159; Kozakiewicz,
op. cit., pp. 270-271.
Cf. K. Bartnicka, Polskie szkolnictwo artystyczne na przełomie XVIII i XIX w. 1764-1831,
Wrocław 1971, pp. 91-109.
V Drema, Pranciskus Smuglevicius, Vilnius 1973; Kształcenie artystyczne w Wilnie i jego
tradycje, ed. by J. Malinowski, M. Woźniak, R. Janoniene, exh. cat., Muzeum Okręgowe, Toruń
15 March - 5 May 1996, Vilniaus Dailes Akademija, Vilnius 7 June - 7 July 1996, pp. 7-18.
S. Morawski, WPeterburku 1827-1838, ed. by A. Czartkowski and H. Mościcki, Poznań 1927,
p. 148.
10 W kręgu..., op. cit., ill. on p. 85.
126
(1745-1807), the discussed painting by Oleszkiewicz and his other works from
the early period reflect an increasing interest in classical themes among artists
and art Wers in both Warsaw and Vilnius.5
1. The artist and his early work
Artistic gifts of the Samogitia-born Józef Oleszkiewicz became visible
already in his early youth when he had an opportunity to visit a gallery of the
Prozor family in Siehniewicze.'1 His first artistic works were copies of various
paintings from this collection. In 1797 this self-taught painter, approaching
twenty, entered Vilnius University, whose Department of Fine Arts had just
been created.7 Oleszkiewicz studied painting and drawing with the then
most highly acclaimed of Polish artists, Franciszek Smuglewicz/ In 1801,
Aleksander Chodkiewicz took interest in the young artist, first inviting him to
his estate in Pękalów and then, in 1803, sending him to study in Paris.
Oleszkiewicz studied in Paris, probably until 1806, together with J.S. Barthemy
and J.L. David. Many years after the return of the painter from France,
his friend Stanisław Morawski wrote in his memoirs: “Until the day he
died, Oleszkiewicz worshiped his master, David. He considered David [...]
a pure republican from the time of Brutus.”9 After a brief stay in Pękalów,
Oleszkiewicz moved to Vilnius, most probably just after Smuglewicz’s death
in 1807, where he hoped to take his chair of painting at the Department
of Fine Arts. While soliciting for this post Oleszkiewicz, on the commission of
his patron Aleksander Chodkiewicz, painted a large historical composition
titled Parting of Hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz with his Wife before the
Chocim Campaign.U) Presentation of this painting at Vilnius University in 1809
was the first public painting exhibition in the city. In spite of famę (“people
crowded [...] toward the Chodkiewicz painting as in procession”, wrote the
above-mentioned Morawski), the artist did not receive the university chair in
For the classical themes in Poland at the turn of the 18th century cf. R. Przybylski, Klasycyzm
albo prawdziwy koniec Królestwa Polskiego, Warszawa 1983. Cf. also A. Ryszkiewicz, “Smug-
lewicz, Franciszek”, in Dictionary of Art, op. cit., vol. 28, p. 892.
b Cf. Biatynicka-Birula, op. cit., p. 259-263; also E. Rastawiecki, Słownik malarzów polskich
tudzież obcych w Polsce osiadłych lub czasowo w niej przebywających, vol. 2, Warszawa 1851,
pp. 70-72; F. Rawita-Gawroński, “Józef Oleszkiewicz. Malarz i mistyk”, in idem, Studya i szkice
historyczne, series I, Lwów 1903, pp. 273-286; T. Dobrowolski, Nowoczesne malarstwo polskie,
vol. 1, Wrocław-Kraków 1957, pp. 136-139; Ryszkiewicz, op. cit., pp. 154-159; Kozakiewicz,
op. cit., pp. 270-271.
Cf. K. Bartnicka, Polskie szkolnictwo artystyczne na przełomie XVIII i XIX w. 1764-1831,
Wrocław 1971, pp. 91-109.
V Drema, Pranciskus Smuglevicius, Vilnius 1973; Kształcenie artystyczne w Wilnie i jego
tradycje, ed. by J. Malinowski, M. Woźniak, R. Janoniene, exh. cat., Muzeum Okręgowe, Toruń
15 March - 5 May 1996, Vilniaus Dailes Akademija, Vilnius 7 June - 7 July 1996, pp. 7-18.
S. Morawski, WPeterburku 1827-1838, ed. by A. Czartkowski and H. Mościcki, Poznań 1927,
p. 148.
10 W kręgu..., op. cit., ill. on p. 85.
126