Born: July 15, 1854, Radom, Russian partition of Poland (presently Poland)
Died: October 8, 1929, Cracow, Poland
Early days. He was born into a noble family (coat of arms Tarnawa). His father, Julian Malczewski, was secretary general of the Estates Credit Union for the Radom district; his mother, Maria Korwin Szymanowska, was a daughter of Aleksander, an officer in the Napoleon’s army and of “Broncia’, his parents’ maid. In 1867 his parents sent him to the estate of his uncle Karczewski in Wielgo. In 1871 he moved to Cracow where he went to “gimnazjum” (high school) and started nondegree studies in the School of Fine Arts (SSP). Later, at the request of the painter Jan Matejko, Malczewski abandoned the gimnazjum and studied only at the SSP. In 1876 he started two year studies in Parisian École des Beaux-Arts. In 1877 he returned to Matejko’s workshop and was under strong influence of both Matejko and Grottger. In 1880 he visited Italy then Lwow and Podolia. In 1884 he took part in an archeological expedition to Asia Minor organized by Karol Lanckoronski who became his close friend.
Professional career; marriage. Under the influence of Slowacki’s poem “Anhelli” Malczewski painted in 1883 his famous “Smierc Ellenai” (Death of Ellenai). In 1885 he went to Munich; in 1887 he married Maria Gralewska. They had two children: Julia and Rafal. In 1887-1888 he painted a series “Rusalki” (The undines) based on folk tales. During 1894-1897 Malczewski introduced symbolism into his paintings. In 1897 he co founded Towarzystwo Artystow Polskich “Sztuka” (The Association of Polish Artists “The Art”). In 1900, after a conflict with Julian Falat he left ASP (Academy of Fine Arts) and remained outside it for next 10 years. During 1905-1906 he painted a series of paintings “Zatruta Studnia” (Poisoned Well). He returned in 1910 and in 1912 became the President (rektor) of ASP. At the beginning of WWI he went to Vienna and during this time he painted a series “Polonia” then returned to Cracow in 1921 and resigned from the professorship at ASP. At that time he started a series of paintings “Moje Zycie” (My Life). He often painted self-portraits. During 1923-1926 Malczewski lived in a mansion in Luslawice where he founded a painting school for talented countryside children. A major collection of his works (68 paintings) can be found in Art Gallery in Lviv (Ukraine). At the later years he lost eyesight. Malczewski was buried, according to his wishes in a Franciscan tertiary habit, at the Crypt for the Meritorious (Krypta Zasluzonych) in the Skalka sanctuary in Cracow.
Educational activity. During 1896-1900 and 1910-1921 he taught at the Fine Arts Academy in Cracow. During 1899-1911 Malczewski taught painting at A. Baraniecki’s Higher Studies for Women and from 1908 on he taught at the M. Niedzielska’s School of Fine Arts for Women.
Exhibitions. 1890-1898 Munich; 1891, 1896, 1913 Berlin; 1893 Chicago; 1899 St. Petersburg; 1900, 1921 Paris; 1902,1915, 1918 Vienna;1903 Malczewski’s first individual exhibition in Cracow, Lwow and Warsaw; 1906 London; 1911 Vienna (retrospective exhibition), Poznan; 1914 Venice; 1924 Cracow; 1925 Poznan, Warsaw; 1926 Lwow, Lodz; 1928 Brussels.
Awards. 1891 Medal at the International exhibition in Berlin 1892 Medal at the International exhibition in Munich 1898 became honorary member of Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs, Wiener Secession. 1900 Medal at the International exhibition in Paris 1921 awarded the medal of Polonia Restituta of IV class 1927 awarded the Warsaw Art Medal 1929 received the grand Gold Medal at the National Exhibition in Poznan 1979 to honor the painter Polish Ocean Lines called the newly built boat “Jacek Malczewski.”
This article uses, among others, material from the Wikipedia article "Jacek Malczewski" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. :
Wikipedia
Other sources
Reproductions of Malczewski’s 120 paintings (text in Polish)
Reproductions of Malczewski’s 21 paintings from Art Gallery in Lwow (Lviv)
Irena Kossowska (in Polish); also reproductions of selected paintings.
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