Teodor Axentowicz, NA GROMNICZNA, 1937

46.0 x 34.0 cm - oil, cardboard signed l.g.: T. Axentowicz

On the back in the middle the author's inscription in pencil: T. Axentowicz | W[ejherowo?] 1937.



Provenance: According to the current owner of the painting, her grandfather, who lived in Wejherowo before WWII, purchased the work directly from the artist.



The painting is accompanied by an expert report by Dr. Mariusz Klarecki dated September 2023.



The featured painting belongs to a series that was inspired by Hutsul folklore. The first composition, Funeral in Rus (1882), was created while the artist was still in Munich, while the next compositions, Kolomyyk (1895) and Feast of Jordan (1893), were created in Paris. These paintings caused astonishment in Western European cities with their exoticism. This is because they defied the then fashionable oriental content. They showed colorful Hutsul landscapes juxtaposed with harsh winter landscapes. The soul of the colorful compositions became the Hutsul village and its inhabitants, rich in customs and rituals (following the expert opinion of Dr. Mariusz Klarecki)

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.