DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41455#0117
Jacek
Malczewski
1854 Radom - 1929 Cracow
The future artist was born into a noble family. His
father was the General Secretary of a land credit
company. Jacek Malczewski spent his childhood
in Radom, frequently visiting his relatives in their coun-
try estates. In the years 1867-1871 he lived in Wielgie
with his uncle, Feliks Karczewski. One of his teachers at
that time was the eminent naturalist writer Adolf Dyga-
siriski. It was his influence - apart from that of his father,
likewise a man of literary talent - that moulded Mal-
czewski’s sensitive personality. In 1871, Malczewski went
to St. Hyacinth’s Lycee in Cracow. He lodged at that
time with Dygasiriski, who remained his tutor and close
friend. From 1872, he studied drawing, first under Leon
Piccard, and then by attending, as an external student,
the classes of Wladystaw Luszczkiewicz at the Cracow
School of Fine Arts. A year later, he followed Matejko’s
advice and left the lycee in favour of regular studies at
the School of Fine Arts under Luszczkiewicz and Feliks
Szynalewski, then Henryk Grabinski, and finally - from
1875 - Matejko himself. A conflict with the latter com-
pelled him to leave the School in 1876 and go to Paris,
where he entered Ernst Lehmann’s studio at the Ecole
des Beaux Arts. He also attended the Academie Suisse
and paid regular visits to Parisian museums.
After a year he returned to Cracow and studied from
1877 until 1879 at the School of Fine Arts, once again at
Matejko’s studio. He lived on friendly terms with his
schoolmates: Witold Pruszkowski, Kazimierz Pochwal-
ski and Maurycy Gottlieb. In 1877, Malczewski’s works
were exhibited for the first time.
In 1880, the artist went to Italy. In the subsequent years
he commuted between Cracow, Radom, Lvov and the
country estates of his landowner friends in the Kingdom
of Poland, Galicia and Podolia. An increasingly impor-
tant role in his life was being played at that time by the
eminent art connoisseur and patron, Karol Lanckoron-
ski from Rozdol.
In 1884, Malczewski took part in Lanckoronski’s ar-
chaeological expedition to Asia Minor. In the course of
the trip he made several dozen drawings that document-
ed the journey and the monuments and customs of the
lands visited en route. Direct contact with the culture of
antiquity on that occasion undoubtedly exerted an in-
fluence on Malczewski’s later works, which were full of
references to a peculiar version of classical mythology.
In 1885-1886, the artist lived in Munich, staying in
touch with the group of Polish artists resident in that city,
including, among others, Jozef Brandt and Alfred Wie-
rusz Kowalski. He would briefly visit Munich again in
1893- Meanwhile, he accompanied Lanckoronski on his
Italian trip, seeing Florence, Ancona, Urbino and Rome.
From 1886, Jacek Malczewski stayed in Cracow. In 1887,
he married Maria Gralewska. By the late 1880s and early
1890s he was already a well-known painter and had
received many awards. Even so, he was beset with con-
stant financial problems despite the help given to him
by Karol Lanckoronski.
Malczewski taught extensively. In 1896, he was appoint-
ed Professor at the School of Fine Arts, which, howev-
er, he soon left in the aftermath of a conflict with its
director, Julian Falat. He then opened his own drawing
school, which he ran jointly with Florian Cynk and Jozef
Unierzyski. He also taught painting in art schools for
women. After a long interruption, he returned to the old
school (which by now had become an academy). He
taught there in 1911-1912, and in 1912-1914 held the
post of Rector.
From 1897, Malczewski was a member of the Polish
Artists’ Society “Sztuka”, but in 1908 he joined the “Zero”
group, which had a totally different programme. The
artist also belonged to the “Sezession” Association in
Vienna and was an active member of the Society of Fine
Arts.
Malczewski spent the initial years of the First World
War in Vienna. In 1916, he returned to Cracow and stayed
there until the end of his life, except for brief excur-
sions to his family estate at Luslawice. Poor health
and failing eyesight limited the scope of his work in his
final years.
Apart from painting, Malczewski was also a writer. He
wrote his memoirs as early as 1882 and composed po-
etry throughout his life. His letters are of a high histori-
cal and literary value. Occasionally, he also contributed
articles about art. Jacek Malczewski’s son Rafal (1892—
1965) was also a painter and man of letters.
124
Malczewski
1854 Radom - 1929 Cracow
The future artist was born into a noble family. His
father was the General Secretary of a land credit
company. Jacek Malczewski spent his childhood
in Radom, frequently visiting his relatives in their coun-
try estates. In the years 1867-1871 he lived in Wielgie
with his uncle, Feliks Karczewski. One of his teachers at
that time was the eminent naturalist writer Adolf Dyga-
siriski. It was his influence - apart from that of his father,
likewise a man of literary talent - that moulded Mal-
czewski’s sensitive personality. In 1871, Malczewski went
to St. Hyacinth’s Lycee in Cracow. He lodged at that
time with Dygasiriski, who remained his tutor and close
friend. From 1872, he studied drawing, first under Leon
Piccard, and then by attending, as an external student,
the classes of Wladystaw Luszczkiewicz at the Cracow
School of Fine Arts. A year later, he followed Matejko’s
advice and left the lycee in favour of regular studies at
the School of Fine Arts under Luszczkiewicz and Feliks
Szynalewski, then Henryk Grabinski, and finally - from
1875 - Matejko himself. A conflict with the latter com-
pelled him to leave the School in 1876 and go to Paris,
where he entered Ernst Lehmann’s studio at the Ecole
des Beaux Arts. He also attended the Academie Suisse
and paid regular visits to Parisian museums.
After a year he returned to Cracow and studied from
1877 until 1879 at the School of Fine Arts, once again at
Matejko’s studio. He lived on friendly terms with his
schoolmates: Witold Pruszkowski, Kazimierz Pochwal-
ski and Maurycy Gottlieb. In 1877, Malczewski’s works
were exhibited for the first time.
In 1880, the artist went to Italy. In the subsequent years
he commuted between Cracow, Radom, Lvov and the
country estates of his landowner friends in the Kingdom
of Poland, Galicia and Podolia. An increasingly impor-
tant role in his life was being played at that time by the
eminent art connoisseur and patron, Karol Lanckoron-
ski from Rozdol.
In 1884, Malczewski took part in Lanckoronski’s ar-
chaeological expedition to Asia Minor. In the course of
the trip he made several dozen drawings that document-
ed the journey and the monuments and customs of the
lands visited en route. Direct contact with the culture of
antiquity on that occasion undoubtedly exerted an in-
fluence on Malczewski’s later works, which were full of
references to a peculiar version of classical mythology.
In 1885-1886, the artist lived in Munich, staying in
touch with the group of Polish artists resident in that city,
including, among others, Jozef Brandt and Alfred Wie-
rusz Kowalski. He would briefly visit Munich again in
1893- Meanwhile, he accompanied Lanckoronski on his
Italian trip, seeing Florence, Ancona, Urbino and Rome.
From 1886, Jacek Malczewski stayed in Cracow. In 1887,
he married Maria Gralewska. By the late 1880s and early
1890s he was already a well-known painter and had
received many awards. Even so, he was beset with con-
stant financial problems despite the help given to him
by Karol Lanckoronski.
Malczewski taught extensively. In 1896, he was appoint-
ed Professor at the School of Fine Arts, which, howev-
er, he soon left in the aftermath of a conflict with its
director, Julian Falat. He then opened his own drawing
school, which he ran jointly with Florian Cynk and Jozef
Unierzyski. He also taught painting in art schools for
women. After a long interruption, he returned to the old
school (which by now had become an academy). He
taught there in 1911-1912, and in 1912-1914 held the
post of Rector.
From 1897, Malczewski was a member of the Polish
Artists’ Society “Sztuka”, but in 1908 he joined the “Zero”
group, which had a totally different programme. The
artist also belonged to the “Sezession” Association in
Vienna and was an active member of the Society of Fine
Arts.
Malczewski spent the initial years of the First World
War in Vienna. In 1916, he returned to Cracow and stayed
there until the end of his life, except for brief excur-
sions to his family estate at Luslawice. Poor health
and failing eyesight limited the scope of his work in his
final years.
Apart from painting, Malczewski was also a writer. He
wrote his memoirs as early as 1882 and composed po-
etry throughout his life. His letters are of a high histori-
cal and literary value. Occasionally, he also contributed
articles about art. Jacek Malczewski’s son Rafal (1892—
1965) was also a painter and man of letters.
124