Jacek Malczewski, DWOREK W LUSŁAWICACH, 1922-1927

35.5 x 50.5cm - watercolor, paper p.d. dedication in black ink: 2/8 1927 | Sketch by Jacek Malczewski | Manor in Luslawice, where | we have been spending such pleasant moments for a number of | years in feelings of ever stronger friendship | of the greatest friends to Mr. Witold Rybczynski [...] (Jasienczyk) [?] Karczewska

l.g. dry seal of the Schoellershammer paper factory



The painting is dedicated to Witold Erazm Rybczynski (Stanislawow 1881 - Luslawice 1939). He was a physicist and mathematician, a lecturer at the Lviv Polytechnic, and a high school teacher. In 1918 Rybczynski met Maria Vayhinger, the wife of Stanislaw Vayhinger. Falling in love with Maria with reciprocity, Rybczynski was a frequent guest at the Vayhinger home, and in the summer - at their summer residence in Luslawice. The Vayhinger family rented part of the mansion to Jacek Malczewski's sisters Bronisława and Helena. Hence, Rybczynski established a close relationship with the sisters and the master himself, who portrayed him.



Literature:

- Witold Rybczynski, My Two Polish Grandfathers. And Other Essays on the Imaginative Life, published by Scribner, 2009, 73-75.

Jacek Malczewski (Radom 1854 - Cracow 1929) - a prominent representative of Polish modernism painting, began his artistic studies at the School of Fine Arts in Cracow, where in 1872-1875 he studied under Feliks Szynalewski, Władysław Łuszczkiewicz and Jan Matejko, whose studio he attended again in 1877-1879. He then studied at the Paris École des Beaux Arts under E. Lehmann (1876-1877).

In 1880, he traveled to Italy. In 1884-1885, he took part - as a draughtsman - in Karol Lanckoroński's scientific expedition to Pamphylia and Pisidia in Little Asia. At that time he was also in Greece and Italy. In 1885-1886 he stayed in Munich for several months. Upon his return, he settled permanently in Cracow, from where he made further trips to Munich and Italy. In 1896-1900 he taught at the Cracow School of Fine Arts, and from 1911-1922 he was a professor and twice rector of the Cracow Academy. He spent the years 1914-1915 in Vienna and returned to Krakow in 1916. In the last years of his life he stayed mainly in Luslawice and Charzewice near Zakliczyn. He was a co-founder of the Society of Polish Artists "Art" (1897) and a member of the "Zero" group (1908).
In the early period of his career, he painted portraits, genre scenes and - above all - paintings with themes related to the martyrdom of Poles after the January Uprising (Death of Ellenai, Sunday in the Mine, On the Stage, Christmas Eve in Siberia). Later, from the 1890s, he created paintings with symbolic content with intermingled patriotic, biblical, fairy-tale, literary and allegorical-fantastic themes.