- Kazimierz Wojniakowski
Kazimierz Wojniakowski (1771–1812) was a Polish painter.
Life
Wojniakowski was a pupil of
Marcello Bacciarelli . ["Wojniakowski, Kazimierz," "Encyklopedia powszechna PWN", vol. 4, p. 700.]He began to study painting in Krak?w under one of the local guild master craftsmen. From about 1790, thanks to the protection of Father Sebastian Sierakowski, a Krak?w canon and amateur architect, he studied in the studio of Marcello Bacciarelli in Warsaw. In 1794 he took part in the Kosciuszko Uprising, whose purpose was to gain Poland's independence from the partitioning powers; after it was crushed he stayed in Pulawy for about two years as a court painter of the Czartoryski princes. In 1797-8 Wojniakowski lived in the province of Wolyn, and thereafter in Warsaw. During the last years of his life he worked for the Polish painter J?zef Kosinski (1753-1821). As a result of his unsteady character and bohemian existence, Wojniakowski never attained the rewards and social status commensurate with his talents and he died in poverty. He painted genre scenes with landscaped backgrounds in the early Neo-classicist manner, influenced to some extent by the Rococo tradition. He also painted religious pictures, as well as scenes connected with the political life of Warsaw and the Kosciuszko Uprising (e.g. the Constitution of 3 May 1791; 1806; Warsaw, N. Mus.). However, he specialized in portraits, in which he displayed great skill in conveying the physiognomical and psychological characteristics of the model, as in the portraits of General Jozef Kossakowski (1794; Krak?w, N. Mus.) and Izabela Czartoryska (1796; Krak?w, Czartoryski Col.). The classicism of these portraits is not based on the attributes they derived from antiquity, but rather on their exquisite, clear line drawing and their restrained and subtle use of colour, which was often reminiscent of the paintings of David. The best collection of Wojniakowski's work is at the National Museum in Warsaw.
Works
His work as a
portraitist was influenced by that of the Polish painterJózef Grassi , as in Wojniakowski's 1796 "Portrait of Izabela Czartoryska, "née " Fleming". ["Encyklopedia powszechna PWN", vol. 4, p. 700.]Other note-worthy portraits by Wojniakowski include his portrait of
Tadeusz Kościuszko .Wojniakowski also produced religious works and scenes of contemporary historic events (e.g., "The
Constitution of May 3, 1791 ", 1806). ["Encyklopedia powszechna PWN", vol. 4, p. 700.]Notable as well are Wojniakowski's drawings from journeys, e.g. in
Lublin Province . ["Encyklopedia powszechna PWN", vol. 4, p. 700.]ee also
*List of Poles
Notes
References
*"Wojniakowski, Kazimierz," "Encyklopedia powszechna PWN" (PWN Universal Encyclopedia), vol. 4, Warsaw,
Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe , 1976, p. 700.
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