Wojciech Kossak, MY CHESTNUT TREE, 1920

45.5 x 53.8 cm - oil on cardboard

signed lower left: Wojciech Kossak | 1920 | My Chestnut Tree from the War

Wojciech Kossak (Paris 1856 – Kraków 1942) – a widely known painter, regarded primarily as a master of battle scenes. The son and student of Juliusz Kossak, he studied at the Kraków School of Fine Arts, the Munich Academy, and in Paris. From 1895 to 1902, he lived mainly in Berlin, working for Emperor Wilhelm II. He traveled extensively, including to Spain and Egypt, where he made sketches for his planned panoramas. In later years, he traveled to the United States several times to fulfill portrait commissions. In 1913, he was appointed professor at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts. During World War I, he served in the military. He was a co-author of the panoramas “Racławice” (1893–1894), “Berezina” (1895–1896), “The Battle of the Pyramids” (1901), and sketches for the uncompleted “Somosierra” (1900). With passion and ease, he created large-scale, dynamic battle scenes, historical paintings, genre scenes, and numerous portraits. He took particular pleasure in painting horses. His paintings, which glorified the Polish military—both past and present—and the heroism of its soldiers, resonated with the patriotic sentiments of viewers and enjoyed immense popularity.