MARIA SZYPKOWSKA, JAN MATEJKO ALL KNOWN [1988].

Description

A biography of Jan Matejko – one of Poland’s most outstanding historical painters – showing the artist as an artist, patriot, educator and committed defender of Krakow’s heritage. The author depicts Matejko’s life path from his childhood – marked by sickness and eye problems, as well as the skepticism of those around him about his talent – to the period of international recognition he achieved before he was thirty.

Matejko’s work, deeply rooted in Polish history, had not only an artistic dimension, but also a patriotic one – through monumental historical compositions, the artist wanted to awaken national consciousness and faith in the rebirth of the state. Considered the founder of the national school of history painting, he left an impressive body of work including hundreds of oil paintings – historical, religious, allegorical and portraits – as well as numerous drawings and sketches.

Using documents, accounts and recollections of the artist’s contemporaries, Maria Szypkowska creates a portrait of Matejko, full of warmth and insight – both as an outstanding artist and as a man with a strong personality and a deep sense of mission.

The publication is a valuable item popularizing knowledge about the life and work of the artist, interesting for lovers of art history and Polish culture of the 19th century.

The copy is hand-bound in leather in the bindery of the Polish Antiquarian, with the utmost care taken to ensure durability and security for generations.