Jan Białostocki
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Jan Białostocki (Polish: ; August 14, 1921, in
Saratov Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
– December 25, 1988, in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
) was a Polish historian. He is considered to be one of the most renowned
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
s of the 20th century.


Life and work

During the German
Occupation of Poland (1939–45) Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...
, Białostocki studied at the so-called "Secret University of Warsaw"
philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and
art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
under Wladyslaw Tatarkiewicz,
Tadeusz Kotarbiński Tadeusz Marian Kotarbiński (; 31 March 1886 – 3 October 1981) was a Polish philosopher, logician and ethicist. A pupil of Kazimierz Twardowski, he was one of the most representative figures of the Lwów–Warsaw School, and a member of the Po ...
and
Michał Walicki Michał Marian Walicki (8 August 1904 in St. Petersburg – 22 August 1966 in Warsaw) was a Polish art historian and professor at the Warsaw University of Technology and School of Fine Arts (later Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw). Life and work F ...
. From September 1944 to May 1945 he was a prisoner in several German
concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
s. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
he worked for about ten years as an assistant at the
National Museum, Warsaw The National Museum in Warsaw ( pl, Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie), popularly abbreviated as MNW, is a national museum in Warsaw, one of the largest museums in Poland and the largest in the capital. It comprises a rich collection of ancient art ( Eg ...
and from 1956 on, he directed the museum's art gallery. From 1945 on, he also worked at the
University of Warsaw The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...
, first as an assistant at the Department of Medieval Art, then as a lecturer. In 1962 he was appointed professor of art history. Since 1964 Białostocki was a member of the
Comité International d'Histoire de l'Art The Comité International d'Histoire de l'Art (CIHA) is an international committee that endeavors to improve art historical research. It was created in 1930 in order to develop the historical and methodological study of artistic activities and pro ...
, since 1973 a member of the
Institute for Advanced Study The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholar ...
of
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
. He lectured at numerous academic institutions and museums in many European countries, the USA and Mexico, for instance, at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
(1958),
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
in
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
(1965-1966),
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
(1972), the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
(1972), the
Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
(1973), the
Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment (''grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris ne ...
(1978) and the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
(1984-1985). He also participated in the Twentieth International Congress for the History of Art in New York City. In 1980 he was awarded the first ever Aby Warburg Prize of
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
. Białostocki's research interests were exceptionally broad and included the art of the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
and the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and
Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
,
Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...
and the Dutch seventeenth century,
Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
,
history painting History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...
, the history of art doctrines, and methodological questions of the history of art. According to Józef Grabski, he "tried to instill in his students a need for a broad perspective when looking at a particular work of art. He was, in a way, an intellectual son of Erwin Panofsky. Prof. Białostocki directed the attention of his students to the wide context of every work of art: social, psychological, archival, but also historical, economics, as well as purely artistic. ..He tried to show us the art historical research not only as pure history of art, but in connection with other humanist disciplines." He has published more than 600 publications in several languages mainly on art from the Renaissance to the 18th century. Białostocki was elected a foreign member of the
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences ( nl, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, abbreviated: KNAW) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands. The academy is housed ...
in 1971.


Select publications

* ''Poussin i teoria klasycyzmu'' (1953) * ''Pojęcie manieryzmu i problem odrębności sztuki polskiej w końcu XVI i w początku XVII wieku'' (1953) * ''Cyrkiel i „Melancholia”. O teorii sztuki Abrechta Dürera'' (1954) * ''Malarstwo europejskie w zbiorach polskich'' (1955) * ''Badania ikonograficzne nad Rembrandtem'' (1957) * ''Metoda ikonologiczna w badaniach nad sztuką'' (1957) * ''Pięć wieków myśli o sztuce'' (1959) * "Dürer, Albrecht". In ''Encyclopedia of World Art'' (1961) * ''Styl i modus w sztukach plastycznych'' (1961) * ''Teoria i twórczość. O tradycji i inwencji w teorii sztuki i ikonografii'' (1961) * ''Le "Baroque": style, epoque, attitude'' (1962) * ''Sztuka cenniejsza niż złoto. Opowieść o sztuce europejskiej naszej ery'' (1963) * "Iconography and Iconology". In ''Encyclopedia of World Art'' (1963) * ''Encompassing Themes and Archetypal Images'' (1965) * ''Der Manierismus zwischen Triumph und Dämmerung'' (1965) * ''Późny gotyk: rozwój pojęcia i terminu'' (1965) * ''Stil und Ikonographie. Studien zur Kunstwissenschaft'' (1966) * ''Kompozycja emblematyczna epitafiów śląskich XVI wieku'' (1968) * ''Symbolika drzwi w sepulkralnej sztuce baroku'' (1968) * ''Rembrandt's "Eques Polonus"'' (1969) * ''Erwin Panofsky (1892-1968)'' (1970) * ''Two Types of International Mannerism: Italian and Northern'' (1970) * ''William Hogarth'' (1972) * ''Spätmittelalter und beginnende Neuzeit'' (1972) * ''The Art of the Renaissance in Eastern Europe'' (1976) * ''Vom heroischen Grabmal zum Bauernbegräbnis'' (1977) * ''Refleksje i syntezy ze świata sztuki'' (1978) * ''Die Eigenart der Kunst Venedigs'' (1980) * ''Historia sztuki wśród nauk humanistycznych'' (1980) * ''Zeichnungen alter Meister aus polnischen Sammlungen'' (1981) * ''Symbole i obrazy w świecie sztuki'' (1982) * ''Dürer und die Humanisten'' (1983) * ''Dürer and his Critics, 1500-1971'' (1986) * "Die Todessymbolik der Tür". In ''Festschrift zum 70. Geburtstag von Erik Forssman'' (1987) * ''The Message of Images. Studies in the History of Art'' (1988) * ''Sztuka XV wieku. Od Parlerów do Dürera'' (2010)


Further reading

* Franco Bernabei, "Jan Białostocki, Formalism, and Iconology". ''Artibus et Historiae'', Volume 11, No. 22 (1990), pp. 9–21.


External links


Dictionary of Art Historians: Białostocki, Jan


* [http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/2771/1/Poprzecka_A_reminiscence_about_Jan_Bialostocki_1991.pdf Maria Poprzęcka, "A reminiscence about Jan Białostocki (1921-1988)", ''Polish Art Studies'', 12 (1991), pp.251-253]
Institute for Art Historical Research: About the author, Jan Białostocki

Encyclopaedia Universalis: BIAŁOSTOCKI JAN (1921-1988)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bialostocki, Jan Polish art historians Writers from Saratov 1921 births 1988 deaths Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Herder Prize recipients Rembrandt scholars Soviet emigrants to Poland