Jan Matejko BIOGRAPHY
Artist Biography
Biography page for Jan Matejko ((1838 - 1893)), known for Historical and portrait painting. Showing 3 biographical entries and 0 sample artworks.
Jan Matejko - Artist Info
About Jan Matejko
Biography from Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny
In the years 1852-1858 he studied at the SSP in Krakow in the studios of W. Luszczkiewicz and W. Stattler. The artist traveled to Munich and Vienna. At the age of 24, he painted one of his most outstanding paintings: "The Stanczyk." He participated in painting exhibitions in Paris, where he was awarded; he was also awarded the Legion of Honor. From 1873 Matejko was the director of the SSP in Krakow. He became an honorary member of the Paris, Prague, Vienna, Berlin and the Rafael Academy in Urbino. His work is characterized by a fascination with history and craftsmanship. The composition of the images consists of multiform scenes, often developed panoramicly, played in the foreground space. The works are characterized by a powerful scale of expression; they are properly framed, the composition is piled up, filled with emotions. In the paintings, dramaturgy is readable in the arrangement of entire scenes and in rendering gestures and poses of specific characters.
Biography from Dorotheum, Vienna
Jan Matejko, a Polish painter of historical scenes and portraits, was born in Cracow in 1838, dying here in 1893. He studied at the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts, under Hermann Anschütz in Munich between 1858 and 1859, and under Christian Ruben at the Vienna Academy between 1859 and 1860. In 1860 the artist settled in Cracow where he was appointed Director of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1873.
Jan Matejko’s home was transformed into a museum in 1904. The artist rose to prominence thanks to his moving depictions of Poland’s history, and for his portraits which demonstrated an equally skillful ability to blend the temperament and clarity already evident in his monumental historical compositions.Biography from Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny
Jan Matejko was a Polish artist who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and traveled to Munich and Vienna. He painted the renowned piece "Stanczyk" at the age of 24 and received distinctions in Paris, where he was awarded the Legion of Honor. Matejko became the director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and was honored by various academies in Europe. His work is characterized by a fascination with history, powerful expression, and dramatic compositions filled with emotion.