Maja Berezowska (1893-1978), Amory, 1954

Watercolor, ink, paper; size: 31 x 22 cm; signed p. d.: Maja Berezowska 54

Framed work.

Berezowska Maja (Maria) (1898-1978): painter and draughtswoman; studied at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw and the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow (under J. Pankiewicz) and at the Munich academy; lived in France from 1932-37 (including studies in J. Pankiewicz's studio in Paris); in l. 1942-45 she was imprisoned in Pawiak and Ravensbrück concentration camp (sent there for a series of drawings ridiculing Hitler); after liberation she lived briefly in Sweden, returned to Poland in 1946; made her debut in the 1920s as a cartoonist. 20s as a caricaturist in the magazine "Szczutek"; she cooperated with the press, including "Szpilki", "Cyrulik Warszawski", "Przekroj", "Teatr"; and with French magazines, including "Le Figaro", "I Figaro", "I I.". "Le Figaro", "Ici Paris", "Le Rire", "La Vie Parisienne"; she realized mainly graceful, atmospheric pen drawings (sometimes brushed with watercolor or gouache); she became famous as an illustrator of works of Polish literature (M. Rej, J. Kochanowski, I. Krasicki) and world literature (F. Villon, G. Boccaccio, G. Lessing, J.W. Goethe, H. Heine); her drawings were dominated by love themes, often frivolous; she also painted flowers (Tulips in a Vase, ca. 1960), genre scenes (Erotic, 1956; On the Road, ca. 1960; In the Alcove, 1962) and portraits; she created posters, designed costumes for revue and cabaret stars (including H. Ordonówna, Z. Pogorzelska) and theatrical set designs (including for the cabaret program Mira and Satire at the Theatre of 13 Rows, comedies by A. Fredro, Verbum nobile by S. Moniuszko); B's artwork. (paintings, costume and decoration designs, drawings) were presented at dozens of exhibitions in Poland.