Theodor Axentowicz, PORTRET OF A YOUNG LADY

68.0 x 50.0 cm - pastel, cardboard signed on the right: T. Axentowicz



Pasted on the back a typed sheet with a confirmation of the authenticity of the painting issued by Dr. Stanislaw Dabrowski in December 1963.



The portrait occupies a significant place in the work of Teodor Axentowicz. After studying at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, the artist went to Paris to further develop his skills. There he ended up in the studio of the renowned portraitist Carolus-Duran. He also quickly gained a reputation as an excellent portraitist himself. He was especially known as the author of alluring female images: His astuteness of observation and ability to find some specific element in a given model speaks from every canvas. This knowledge of female psychology is immediately striking in the artist (...) By skillful positioning, by the tilt of the figure, by the movement of the head or arm, by the expression of the eyes, by a glance or even by a smile, he knows how to interest or attract attention. (...) Finally, the artist is distinguished by a subtle range of colors," Franciszek Klein wrote about them (quoted in Teodor Axentowicz. Polish Armenian [exhibition catalog], State Art Gallery, Sopot, 19 June - 21 September 2014, p. 78).

Teodor Axentowicz - creator of beautiful, ethereal female portraits - painted mainly in pastel technique portraits of ladies from aristocratic spheres, bourgeois salons and artistic circles. Using attributes of femininity - i.e. dresses, airy fabrics, flowers, jewelry or elegant headgear, and posing the model appropriately - he was able to imbue his paintings with eroticism. Sensually leaning or proudly erect, showing off the assets of their figures, sometimes with slightly closed eyes, they subtly seduced, looking directly at the viewer. Axentowicz was perfectly able to depict the moods of the portrayed women through the expression of their eyes. It was in them, as in a mirror, that reverie, sadness and sometimes a strong dramatic accent were reflected. The artist was an unparalleled painter of female charm and charm of the time.

Teodor Axentowicz (Brasov in Transylvania 1859 - Krakow 1938) - painter, pastelist, lithographer - was one of the most famous and respected Polish painters. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich under Gabriel Hackl, Alexander Wagner, Gyula Benczúr. He completed his studies in Paris, where he then stayed for several years. He participated in the Paris Salons; in 1890 he received membership in the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. During this time, he also made numerous trips to London. In 1895 he returned to Poland and settled permanently in Cracow, appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts there (from 1900 the Academy). He taught continuously at the academy until 1934, serving twice as rector (1910-11 and 1927-28). He was one of the founding members of the Society of Polish Artists "Art", a member of the Vienna "Secession" and a contributor to its magazine "Ver Sacrum". He was especially successful with idealized images of refined ladies and graceful children's portraits. He also painted genre paintings; he was one of the first painters of the Hutsul region and the Hutsul people. He created historical paintings and symbolic compositions related to the passage of time, transience and old age. In his early, Munich period, these were paintings maintained in the spirit of academic realism; his later work was influenced by 18th century English painting and the works of contemporary painters - Boldoni, Whistler, Sargent. His paintings are characterized by decorativeness, elegance, the freshness of a subtle range of colors and delicate Art Nouveau styling. Initially he painted in oil and watercolor, and after 1890 he primarily mastered the pastel technique. He was involved in illustration and lithography, and designed posters for "Art" exhibitions.