Jan Matejko(1838-1879),Stefan Batory at Pskov

woodcut, paper 30 x 51 cm clear passe-partout,signed with bound monogram "JM" on woodcut panel l.d. and by xylographer p.d. "J.STYFI."
The graphic comes from the "Album of Jan Matejko" published in 1876 by S. Leventhal, who wrote in the afterword: "The album included the finest paintings of the master, made in recent times, [....] the works were drawn on wood by Matejko himself " [...] the execution of each of such woodcuts, such as for example Stefan Batory, the Sejm in Lublin , et.al. required six months of time each, not counting the time used to draw them on wood [...].
The drawings on woodcut plates were personally made by Jan Matejko, engraved by the most outstanding wood engravers of the time. The graphics come from the "Album of Jan Matejko" published in 1876 by Samuel Leventhal, who writes in the afterword, among other things, as follows: "The album included the master's finest paintings, made in recent times; (...) the works were drawn on wood by Matejko himself " [...] the making of each of such woodcuts as, for example, Stefan Batory, Sejm in Lublin , et.al. required six months of time each, not counting the time used to draw them on wood [...].