DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41455#0082
Jozef
Chelmonski
1849 Boczki near Lowicz - 1914 Kuklowka near Warsaw
The life story of Jozef Chelmonski typifies the fate
of the emerging Polish intelligentsia of the nine-
teenth century. The future artist came from an im-
poverished noble family, whose livelihood had depend-
ed for at least two generations on leasehold land. His
father, an amateur painter, taught his highly gifted son
the rudiments of drawing.
Jozef Chelmonski initially went to school in Lowicz,
before moving to a lycee in Warsaw, which he finished
in 1867. Determined to pursue an artistic career, from
1867 to 1871 he attended Wojciech Gerson’s Warsaw
Drawing Class, where he acquired considerable techni-
cal competence as well as a distinctly realist orientation.
It was probably then that he made his first trips to Podo-
lia and the Ukraine, which exerted great influence on
the subject matter of his art. From 1869, Chelmonski
exhibited his works - mostly genre scenes set in the
countryside - in the Warsaw “Zachpta” Gallery. He was
soon noticed by the critics, though did not always re-
ceive favourable reviews.
In the years 1871-1874, Chelmonski stayed in Munich,
where he studied at the Academy for a while in 1872,
under the guidance of Hermann Anschutz and Alexan-
der Strahuber. He was even awarded a bronze medal for
one of his drawings at that time. In the following year he
entered the studio of Alexander Wagner, which, how-
ever, he soon left, disappointed with the Academy. In his
artistic development, he was influenced to a considerable
extent by Jozef Brandt, Maksymilian Gierymski and other
Polish artists living in Munich. During his stay there, he
steadily developed the skills of a realist painter, at times
veering towards naturalism. As Polish themes in painting
were becoming fashionable in Germany, Chelmonski
found in Munich favourable environment in which to em-
bark upon a painter’s career and start earning money. His
dynamic composition Return from a Ball proved a major
success. In the course of his stay in Munich, Chelmonski
made several trips to Poland, visiting the Ukraine and
Podolia. These excursions provided him with fresh mo-
tifs for his Polish genre scenes.
In 1874, Chelmonski returned to Warsaw and rented a
studio - together with Stanislaw Witkiewicz, Antoni Pio-
trowski and Adam Chmielowski - at the Europejski Hotel.
This marked the beginning of Poland’s first artistic group
with a coherent programme, embracing the ideals of
naturalism. The works of the young painters were given
a decidedly cool reception from the Warsaw critics.
Already at the end of 1875, the assistance of the sculp-
tor Cyprian Godebski allowed Chelmonski to go to Par-
is, where he spent the next twelve years. During that
period he would stick to both naturalism and Polish
themes. This did not prevent him from attaining wide
renown (and in fact might have helped him to achieve
popularity). The artist often exhibited his works at the
official Salon, to much critical acclaim. Accordingly, his
paintings fetched high prices and found buyers in diffe-
rent parts of the world, including England and America.
In 1878, the art dealer A. Goupil signed a contract with
the artist concerning the pre-emptive rights to purchase
his works. In the years 1884-1892, Chelmonski worked
as an illustrator for Le Monde Illustre. The Chelmonskis’
house (in 1878, the artist had married Maria Szymanow-
ska) became a meeting place of Polish artists living in
Paris. Chelmonski visited Poland from Paris on a couple
of occasions. In 1883, he made another trip to the Ukraine,
and in 1877 and 1878 he travelled to Italy.
In 1887, Chelmonski settled in Warsaw, and two years
later - in the village of Kuklowka near Grodzisk Mazo-
wiecki. In the following years he made some more trips
to Lithuania, the Ukraine and the Polesie region. In 1889,
he visited Paris, where he took part in the World Exhibi-
tion. From 1897, Chelmonski was Honorary President of
the Polish Artists’ Society “Sztuka” (“Art”). His works re-
ceived a number of distinctions at home and abroad,
including a mention honorable at the Salon in 1882, the
Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889, and
a gold medal at an exhibition in San Francisco in 1894.
The evolution of attitudes towards Chelmoriski’s art
was highly significant. In his youth, the artist was attacked
mostly by the traditional idealist critics and received
backing from the young adherents of naturalism. In his
mature years, he enjoyed wide respect, but came in for
much criticism again soon after his death - this time
because of the excessively literary quality of his works,
which imposed upon Polish art a canon of themes that
still linger on in thousands of kitschy, derivative paint-
ings. From today’s perspective, Chelmonski’s oeuvre may
seem a little uneven artistically, which, however, does
not detract from the value of his best works.
86
Chelmonski
1849 Boczki near Lowicz - 1914 Kuklowka near Warsaw
The life story of Jozef Chelmonski typifies the fate
of the emerging Polish intelligentsia of the nine-
teenth century. The future artist came from an im-
poverished noble family, whose livelihood had depend-
ed for at least two generations on leasehold land. His
father, an amateur painter, taught his highly gifted son
the rudiments of drawing.
Jozef Chelmonski initially went to school in Lowicz,
before moving to a lycee in Warsaw, which he finished
in 1867. Determined to pursue an artistic career, from
1867 to 1871 he attended Wojciech Gerson’s Warsaw
Drawing Class, where he acquired considerable techni-
cal competence as well as a distinctly realist orientation.
It was probably then that he made his first trips to Podo-
lia and the Ukraine, which exerted great influence on
the subject matter of his art. From 1869, Chelmonski
exhibited his works - mostly genre scenes set in the
countryside - in the Warsaw “Zachpta” Gallery. He was
soon noticed by the critics, though did not always re-
ceive favourable reviews.
In the years 1871-1874, Chelmonski stayed in Munich,
where he studied at the Academy for a while in 1872,
under the guidance of Hermann Anschutz and Alexan-
der Strahuber. He was even awarded a bronze medal for
one of his drawings at that time. In the following year he
entered the studio of Alexander Wagner, which, how-
ever, he soon left, disappointed with the Academy. In his
artistic development, he was influenced to a considerable
extent by Jozef Brandt, Maksymilian Gierymski and other
Polish artists living in Munich. During his stay there, he
steadily developed the skills of a realist painter, at times
veering towards naturalism. As Polish themes in painting
were becoming fashionable in Germany, Chelmonski
found in Munich favourable environment in which to em-
bark upon a painter’s career and start earning money. His
dynamic composition Return from a Ball proved a major
success. In the course of his stay in Munich, Chelmonski
made several trips to Poland, visiting the Ukraine and
Podolia. These excursions provided him with fresh mo-
tifs for his Polish genre scenes.
In 1874, Chelmonski returned to Warsaw and rented a
studio - together with Stanislaw Witkiewicz, Antoni Pio-
trowski and Adam Chmielowski - at the Europejski Hotel.
This marked the beginning of Poland’s first artistic group
with a coherent programme, embracing the ideals of
naturalism. The works of the young painters were given
a decidedly cool reception from the Warsaw critics.
Already at the end of 1875, the assistance of the sculp-
tor Cyprian Godebski allowed Chelmonski to go to Par-
is, where he spent the next twelve years. During that
period he would stick to both naturalism and Polish
themes. This did not prevent him from attaining wide
renown (and in fact might have helped him to achieve
popularity). The artist often exhibited his works at the
official Salon, to much critical acclaim. Accordingly, his
paintings fetched high prices and found buyers in diffe-
rent parts of the world, including England and America.
In 1878, the art dealer A. Goupil signed a contract with
the artist concerning the pre-emptive rights to purchase
his works. In the years 1884-1892, Chelmonski worked
as an illustrator for Le Monde Illustre. The Chelmonskis’
house (in 1878, the artist had married Maria Szymanow-
ska) became a meeting place of Polish artists living in
Paris. Chelmonski visited Poland from Paris on a couple
of occasions. In 1883, he made another trip to the Ukraine,
and in 1877 and 1878 he travelled to Italy.
In 1887, Chelmonski settled in Warsaw, and two years
later - in the village of Kuklowka near Grodzisk Mazo-
wiecki. In the following years he made some more trips
to Lithuania, the Ukraine and the Polesie region. In 1889,
he visited Paris, where he took part in the World Exhibi-
tion. From 1897, Chelmonski was Honorary President of
the Polish Artists’ Society “Sztuka” (“Art”). His works re-
ceived a number of distinctions at home and abroad,
including a mention honorable at the Salon in 1882, the
Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889, and
a gold medal at an exhibition in San Francisco in 1894.
The evolution of attitudes towards Chelmoriski’s art
was highly significant. In his youth, the artist was attacked
mostly by the traditional idealist critics and received
backing from the young adherents of naturalism. In his
mature years, he enjoyed wide respect, but came in for
much criticism again soon after his death - this time
because of the excessively literary quality of his works,
which imposed upon Polish art a canon of themes that
still linger on in thousands of kitschy, derivative paint-
ings. From today’s perspective, Chelmonski’s oeuvre may
seem a little uneven artistically, which, however, does
not detract from the value of his best works.
86