- Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki (1843-1902) was a Polish Academic painter. He was particularly known for his depictions of scenes from the ancient Graeco-Roman world and the
New Testament .Siemiradzki was born to a Polish
szlachta family of a military physician in the village of Novobelgorod (now Pechenegi) nearKharkov ,Ukraine . He studied at Kharkov Gymnasium where he learned painting under a scion ofKarl Briullov , D. I. Besperchy. He entered the Physics-Mathematics School ofKharkov University but continued his painting lessons from Bespechy.After graduating from the University with the degree of
Kandidat he abandoned his scientific career and moved toSaint Petersburg to study painting at theImperial Academy of Arts in the years 1864-1870. Upon his graduation he was awarded a gold medal. In 1870-1871 he studied underKarl von Piloty inMunich on a grant from the Academy. In 1871 he moved toRome , while spending summers at his estate inStrzałkowo , nearCzęstochowa inPoland .In 1873 he received the title of an Academician of the
Imperial Academy of Arts for his painting "Christ and a Sinner" on a verse byAleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy . In 1876-1879 Siemiradzki worked on frescoes for theCathedral of Christ the Saviour (Moscow) . In 1879 he offered one of his best-known works, the enormous "Pochodnie Nerona" (Nero 's torches), painted 1876, to the fledgeling Polish National Museum inKraków . In 1893 he worked on two large paintings for theState Historical Museum (Moscow). His works are exhibited in the museums of Poland, Russia and Ukraine.He died in Strzałkowo in 1902. Originally he was buried in
Warsaw but later his remains were moved to the national Pantheone onSkałka inKraków .Many of his paintings depict scenes from antiquity, commonly sunlit utopian scenes or compositions presenting the lives of early Christians. He also painted biblical and historical scenes, landscapes, and portraits. His well known works also include the painted curtains for the
Juliusz Słowacki theatre inKraków , and for theLwów theatre.External links
* [http://www.abcgallery.com/S/semiradsky/semiradsky.html Online gallery of Semiradsky paintings]
* [http://artyzm.com/artysta.php?id=602 Selection of Works and Bio]
* [http://www.krotov.info/spravki/persons/19person/1843semi.html Works and Bio] ru icon
* [http://www.rulex.ru/01180138.htm Bio] ru icon
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