Wilhelm Leopolski

The portrait “The Death of Acerna” (Polish: Zgon Acerna ), one of two versions, 1867, oil on canvas, held in the National Museum in Wroclaw, is considered the painter's main work. It was created in his most creative period

"Der Beschlasser Gerwazy" (Polish: Klucznik Gerwazy ), before 1874, oil on canvas, inventory: National Museum Wroclaw. The depicted figure, the head of the Horeszko family, comes from the national epic Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz

Wilhelm Jan Nepomucen Leopolski (also: Wilhelm Postel de Leopolski , Wilhelm Postel Edler von Leopolski or Wilhelm von Postel-Leopolski ) (born May 5, 1828 in Drohobycz , † January 29, 1892 in Vienna ) was an Austro-Polish history and portrait painter of realism .

Life

Leopolski was the son of the civil servant Franciszek Leopolski. From 1848 to 1852 he studied law at the University of Lemberg . After completing this degree, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow from 1853 to 1856 and from 1858 to 1859 . Here he studied drawing and painting under the direction of Wojciech Stattler and Władysław Łuszczkiewicz .

Supported by Count Władysław Tarnowski , he continued his training at the Academy in Vienna with Christian Ruben from 1860 to 1861 . In 1862 he returned to Poland and lived in Brody , Krakow and Lemberg (from 1866). In 1874 and 1875 he attended the Academy in Munich with Sándor Wagner . In 1876 there was a slanderous dispute in court between Leopolski and the younger Jan Matejko , who rose to become a better known history painter in Krakow and had thus drawn the elder's displeasure.

In 1879 he then settled permanently in Vienna. Here he became a popular portrait painter who was especially valued by the Polish aristocrats who lived here. He portrayed Emperor Franz Joseph I and exhibited frequently in Vienna, Munich and Poland. In old age he was temporarily admitted to a psychiatric clinic near Vienna, gave up painting and died impoverished.

plant

In addition to portraits, Leopolski created historical compositions, genre pictures , cityscapes as well as architectural interiors and landscapes. He mainly painted in oil; But there were also watercolors and drawings as well as caricatures for the Lviv magazine "Szczutek". His painting style was shaped by the teaching of the Munich and Vienna academies; He followed the style movements of European painting. He was distinguished by his extraordinary technical skill. The selection of predominantly Polish motifs shows the bond with home.

The largest collection of his works is in the Wroclaw National Museum . Individual paintings are in the national museums in Kraków and Warsaw , in the museum in Kórnik and in the Lviv picture gallery.

Individual evidence

↑ The subject relates to Polish literary history; it shows the death of the Renaissance poet Sebastian Fabian Klonowicz . The confession of sins of the dying person is shown in the presence of a Jesuit priest and the personal physician of King Stefan Batory , Wojciech Oczko
↑ according to Andrzej Ryszkiewicz, Malarstwo polskie. romantyzm, historyzm, realizm , series 6, volume 4 Malarstwo polskie , ISBN 9788322103845 , Auriga, 1989, p. 280 (in Polish)
↑ according to Katarzyna Rutkowska, Malarstwo Wilhelma Leopolskiego , ISBN 9788389729002 , Neriton Verlag, 2004, p. 13
↑ according to Marek Sołtysik, Talent pod presją - przypadek Leopolskiego at the legal journal Palestro (accessed on September 5, 2012, in Polish)
↑ according to Stanisława Serafińska, Jan Matejko. Wspomnienia rodzinne. Pamiętniki i wspomnienia , Publisher: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1958, p. 541 (in Polish)

literature

Jens Christian Jensen (Ed.), Polish Painting from 1830 to 1914, catalog for the exhibition from June 24 to August 20, 1978 in the Kunsthalle zu Kiel , DuMont, Cologne 1978, p. 222 f.

Web links

Commons : Wilhelm Leopolski - Collection of images, videos and audio files

personal data
SURNAME	Leopolski, Wilhelm
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Postel Edler von Leopolski, Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Polish painter
DATE OF BIRTH	May 5, 1828
PLACE OF BIRTH	Drohobycz
DATE OF DEATH	January 29, 1892
Place of death	Vienna

[1] The subject relates to Polish literary history; it shows the death of the Renaissance poet Sebastian Fabian Klonowicz . The confession of sins of the dying person is shown in the presence of a Jesuit priest and the personal physician of King Stefan Batory , Wojciech Oczko

[2] rding to Andrzej Ryszkiewicz, Malarstwo polskie. romantyzm, historyzm, realizm , series 6, volume 4 Malarstwo polskie , ISBN 9788322103845 , Auriga, 1989, p. 280 (in Polish)

[3] rding to Katarzyna Rutkowska, Malarstwo Wilhelma Leopolskiego , ISBN 9788389729002 , Neriton Verlag, 2004, p. 13

[4] rding to Marek Sołtysik, Talent pod presją - przypadek Leopolskiego at the legal journal Palestro (accessed on September 5, 2012, in Polish)

[5] rding to Stanisława Serafińska, Jan Matejko. Wspomnienia rodzinne. Pamiętniki i wspomnienia , Publisher: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1958, p. 541 (in Polish)