Jan Matejko: biography, paintings

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Jan Matejko played an important role as a great artist in the life of his country and the history of Polish art. The founder of the state school of historical painting, Matejko stands on the same level as the famous great foreign artists of the nineteenth century.

Childhood

Little Jan Alois Matejko was born on June 24 in the city of Krakow in 1838. Yang was the ninth child in the family. His father is a Czech emigrant Francis Xavier Matejko, who settled in Poland in 1807. He arrived in Galicia as a music teacher and earned money mainly by private lessons. Later he left for the city of Krakow, where he met a wonderful woman who later became his wife, Jan's mother, Joanna Caroline Rossberg, who was born into a German-Polish family engaged in crafts. Eleven children were born in the family of Xavier and Joanna. At the age of seven, Jan experiences a terrible loss of his beloved mother - she dies. After her death, Joanna's sister takes care of the upbringing of the children. Little Yang suffers greatly from a lack of attention, this greatly affects the formation of his personality. The boy's ability to draw beganmanifest from a young age, despite the fact that his father did not share his passion for drawing.

Youth

At the age of thirteen, Jan Alois Matejko entered the Krakow School of Fine Arts for further education. He studies the history of everyday life, makes sketches of architectural buildings, sculptures, historical monuments, sketches Polish princes and kings, and is interested in the Polish history of costume. In 1858, Jan Matejko received a scholarship to study in Munich at the Art Academy. There he begins to study the paintings of famous artists, he admires the paintings of Paul Delaroche, Carl Theodor von Piloty (his student), who painted famous historical canvases. It is this acquaintance that determines the direction of the future works of Jan Matejko.

In 1859, young Jan Alois Matejko paints the painting "Poisoning of Queen Bona" and publishes the work "Polish Costume". The published work depicts people dressed in historical costumes, in future works he will apply the experience he has gained more than once. Due to conflicts with teachers, he has to complete his short studies at the art academy. After returning in 1860, Jan Matejko begins work in his hometown of Krakow.

Shortly after returning at the age of twenty-four, Matejko creates one of his famous works called "Stanchik" (1862). The painting depicts a pensive, grieving court jester, against the backdrop of a feasting ball. Since 1873, the artist Jan Matejko has headed an art school in Krakow, where he works until the end of his life.

Family

Ian knew his future wife Theodora Gebultovskaya from early childhood, it was her family that became his support and support at a time when he was going through the loss of his mother. To Polina Gebultovskaya, the mother of Theodora, Yan treated him like his own mother. He liked Theodora from childhood, but she did not feel warm feelings for him. But in 1863, nevertheless, young people get closer, and in the fall of the following year, preparations for their wedding begin.

In 1864, on the twenty-first of November, the wedding of Jan Matejko and Theodora Gebultowska will take place. After the wedding, the young people will leave for Paris, after the trip he will draw a portrait of his beloved "Portrait of his wife in a wedding dress." Their family will have two sons - Jerzy and Tadeusz, two daughters - Helena and Beata. The fifth child will be a daughter, Regina, who will die in infancy. Helena will become interested in art and continue the path of her father: she will become an artist.

Muse. Theodora Gebultowska

Theodora was an extremely selfish and jealous person, she came up with various tricks and adventures in order to strengthen her position as the artist's muse. Almost all the outlines of women in Matejko's works are reminiscent of Theodora. In 1876, when Theodora is on a journey, the master secretly begins work on the painting "The Castellan". For the picture, Stanislava, who is Theodora's niece, poses for him. Upon her return, Theodora was beside herself with anger, after a strong quarrel, she leaves him and leaves for some time to her mother Polina Gebultovskaya. Later, she will nevertheless return to her husband, but secretly from him will destroyown portrait in a wedding dress, Jan will later restore this picture. From now on, cold and strained relations will reign in the family.

The illness of the wife and the death of the creator

At the end of the winter of 1882, Theodora's mental state worsens, and she has to go to a psychiatric clinic for treatment. After a year and a half spent in the hospital, Theodora returns home, but is still under the vigilant supervision of doctors. On November 1, 1893, after severe internal bleeding, Jan Matejko died. His wife Theodora is at the bedside of her dying husband. She can not recover for a long time after the death of her husband. Theodora dies in 1896, in April. She was buried with her husband.

The Path of the Creator

At about thirty years of age, Jan Alois Matejko receives international fame and universal recognition. In 1865, his canvas "Sermon of Skarga" was awarded a gold award at the Paris Exhibition, which takes place annually, later the work will be sold to Count Maurycy Potocki. A year has passed, and at a show in Paris, Jan Matejko again receives a gold award of the first category for his work "Reitan at the Diet of 1773". Later, the sovereign of Austria, Franz Joseph, acquires it. His next major work is the Union of Lublin, written in 1867-1869.

The painter Matejko constantly experiences financial stress, this is due to the fact that he often gives away his works to rich friends or sells them for next to nothing. Yang was very generous and constantly supported the poor. The year 1863 is marked by the gifts of the artist: the canvas "Jan Sobieski near Vienna" was handed over to the Pope,many of the famous works were given to Poland, "Joan of Arc" was given to France.

In 1873, the great artist was offered to head the Academy of Arts in Prague, followed by an offer from Jan Alois Matejk's hometown, Krakow, and he became the head of the school of fine arts. It was there that he began his art studies. Jan does not hesitate to become the head of the art school in his hometown. He will work there for the rest of his life. Despite the leadership position, Matejko continues to paint great pictures. The year 1878 was marked by the well-known large-scale work of the creator of the Battle of Grunwald.

Great works by the artist

He was constantly working, and every few years new paintings were born. Main paintings by Jan Matejko:

• From 1862 to 1869 - "Stanchik", "Sermon of Skarga", "Reytan. The Decline of Poland”, “Union of Lublin”.
• From 1870 to 1878 “The Death of King Sigismund II in Knyshin”, “Stefan Batory near Pskov”, “Copernicus. Conversation with God”, “Death of King Przemysl II”, “Battle of Grunwald”.

From 1882 to 1891 "Prussian Tribute", "Jeanne d'Arc", "Kosciuszko under Racławice", "May 3rd Constitution"

The painter Jan Alois Matejko painted not only great significant canvases, but also worked on a huge number of portraits of his family, friends, rectors of the Jagiellonian University and many others. He painted about 320 paintings and thousands of sketches and drawings. His work is exhibited in many museums.

Jan Matejko, Stanchik (1862)

In 1862, Matejko finished the canvas that brought him fame - "Stanchik". This beautiful creation tells the story of a Polish jester who served at the court of the monarchs Alexander Jagiellon, Sigismund I the Old, Sigismund II Augustus. This work shows the deepest feelings of a jester sitting alone against the backdrop of a feasting ball, sadness against the backdrop of celebration. The thoughtful expression on Stanchik's face speaks of his bitter feelings about the loss of the border fortress by Poland in 1514 in Smolensk. Not much information has been established about the jester himself. He was born in the village of Proshovitsy, near Krakow. He achieved a special status at court with his eloquence and wit. Stanczyk skillfully used his special status at court and mercilessly criticized the policies of the rulers. This painting is in the National Museum in Warsaw.

Painting "Battle of Grunwald", year 1878

After the defeat of the uprising in January 1864, the unrest that gripped Polish society allowed the creator to change the mood of his artistic reasoning. The master begins to create grandiose large-scale canvases showing the historical political and military conquests of Poland. The canvas was painted in 1872-1878. Jan Matejko's painting "The Battle of Grunwald" shows the fateful conquest of the Kingdom of Poland and the Principality of Lithuania in 1410 over the Teutonic Order. Playing battle scenes, the artist shows an entire era focused on that important moment. This work is also kept in the National Museum in Warsaw.

Jan Matejko, Death of King Przemysl II, year 1875

This painting, painted in 1875, depicts the tragic story of the death of the Polish king. The tragedy happened a year after the coronation ceremony of Przemysl II, on February 8, 1296. In memory of this tragic event, Jan Matejko creates a picture in which he recreates a piece of the historical drama that took place in his native Poland. Przemysl II was killed immediately after the carnival celebration. Assassins sent by the Margraves of Brandenburg and the great Polish nobility kidnapped the wounded king, but when they escaped, they decided that he had become a burden for them and left him to die on the road.

Many historians up to our time are at a loss from such a mysterious death of the king. Many consider his death a punishment for the strange death of his first wife. The painting "The Death of King Przemysl II" is in the gallery of modern art in Zagreb.

We reviewed the main works of the great artist Jan Alois Matejk. His work has occupied a significant niche in art. The name of the artist is forever inscribed in the pages of the history of Poland, and not only. This is exactly the creator whose work inspires many contemporary artists to create new masterpieces.