Wojciech BETLEY, PIESKOWA ROCK, 1898

Oil, canvas; 110 x 89 cm
Signed p.d.: W. Betley | Pieskowa Skała | 98
Asking price 25000
Estimate 30000 - 35000
Wojciech BETLEY
1867 - 1920
He began his artistic education in 1889 at the Warsaw Drawing School under Wojciech Gerson, and continued in 1890-1893 at the School of Fine Arts in Cracow, under the direction of Władysław Łuszczkiewicz and Józef Unierzyski. He further honed his skills later in Munich under Karl Raupp.
The artist painted mostly in oil, but also made drawings and prints. He created very atmospheric paintings, in which he dealt with religious, landscape and patriotic-historical themes, painted nudes and views of architecture, often showing castles. The painter's works were reproduced several times on postcards and in albums: in the Treasure of Architecture in Poland by the outstanding Polish architect of the historicist era, Jan Sas Zubrzycki, and in the commemorative edition Homage to Grunwald. Wojciech Betley was also the author of designs for stickers of the Society for Popular Education.
The artist was also active in teaching, lecturing at the Adam Mickiewicz People's University in Cracow. He also wrote historical novels (including Z Pieskowa Skała pod Grunwald. Fantasia na tle historycznem), for which he designed the illustrations himself.
He showed his works at exhibitions of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in Warsaw, the Society for the Friends of Fine Arts in Cracow, as well as at the Krywult Salon and the Kulikowski Salon.