Kajetan Stefanowicz (12 July 1886, in

Drohobycz Drohobych ( uk, Дрого́бич, ; pl, Drohobycz; yi, דראָהאָביטש;) is a city of regional significance in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Drohobych Raion and hosts the administration of Drohobych urban hro ...

– 20 September 1920, near Rohaczów) was a Polish

Art-Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

painter and illustrator of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

ancestry who served as a

Rotmistrz __NOTOC__ (German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typic ...

(Cavalry Captain) with the

Polish Legions in World War I The Polish Legions ( pl, Legiony Polskie) was a name of the Polish military force (the first active Polish army in generations) established in August 1914 in Galicia (Central Europe), Galicia soon after World War I erupted between the opposing all ...

Biography

He was taught the basics of drawing and painting by his father, the portrait painter, Antoni Stefanowicz. This was followed by studies at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts with

Józef Pankiewicz Józef Pankiewicz (29 November 1866, in Lublin – 4 July 1940, in La Ciotat) was a Polish impressionist painter, graphic artist and teacher who spent much of his career in France. Biography From 1884 to 1885, he studied at the School of Fine ...

and

Józef Mehoffer Józef Mehoffer (19 March 1869 – 8 July 1946) was a Polish painter and decorative artist, one of the leading artists of the Young Poland movement and one of the most revered Polish artists of his time. Life Mehoffer was born in Ropczyce, ...

; the

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (german: Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavaria, ...

, with Otto Seitz, and private lessons in Paris with Ferdinand Humbert.Biography
@ Wiki.Ormianie. He began working primarily as an illustrator; favoring fairy tales and Orientalist themes. He also did posters and designed women's clothing and furniture. Later, he painted decorations at the offices of the Land Credit Society in Lwów (now a branch of the

National Bank of Ukraine National Bank of Ukraine ( uk, Національний банк України) or NBU ( uk, НБУ) is the central bank of Ukraine – a government body responsible for unified state policy in the field of country's monetary circulation, includ ...

) and was a co-founder of the artistic and literary magazine, ''Wianki'' (Garlands). Along with many Polish artists, he was a contributor to ''

Tygodnik Illustrowany ''Tygodnik Illustrowany'' (, ''The Illustrated Weekly'') was a Polish language weekly magazine published in Warsaw from 1859 to 1939. The magazine focus was on literary, artistic and social issues. History It is said to have been one of the mos ...

''. In February, 1915, he joined the Legion Wschodni, under the command of

Władysław Belina-Prażmowski Władysław Zygmunt Belina-Prażmowski (3 May 1888 in Ruszkowiec – 13 October 1938 in Venice), was a Polish cavalryman, colonel and politician. He was a member of Związek Walki Czynnej since 1909, later Związek Strzelecki. Student of Lwów ...

, and received the nickname "

Soplica Soplica () is one of the older brands of Poland, Polish pure and flavoured vodka, having been first produced in 1891 (in a factory that was opened in 1888). Although the origins of vodka in Poland can be traced back to as early as the 8th century ...

". He served throughout the war and participated in the Battle of Lemberg. During the Polish-Soviet War, he fought in the Battle of Koziatyn and the seizure of Chyrów. He was killed just before the beginning of the truce. In 1916, he published ''Song of the Legionnaires: drawings of Kajetan Stefanowicz - Petty Officer 1st Regiment of the Polish Legions'', a collection of engravings. He received several posthumous awards, including the Order Virtuti Militari,

Cross of Independence Cross of Independence ( pl, Krzyż Niepodległości) was second highest Polish military decorations between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three cl ...

and Cross of Valour, and was buried at the

Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów The Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów ( pl, Cmentarz Obrońców Lwowa, Cmentarz Orląt, ''Cemetery of Eaglets'', ''Orlat Cemetery'') is a memorial and a burial place for the Poles and their allies who died in Lwów ( ukr, Lviv) during the host ...

Selected paintings

Kajetan Stefanowicz Paryżanka 1912.jpg, Parisian Kajetan Stefanowicz Dwie kobiety.jpg, Two Women Kajetan Stefanowicz Kobieta z wężem 1915.jpg, Woman with a Serpent Kajetan Stefanowicz Portret żony 1919.jpg, Portrait of his Wife

References

External links

Works by Stefanowicz
@ the Wirtualne Muzeum Secesji
''Song of the Legionnaires ...''
full text at the Jagiellonian Digital Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Stefanowicz, Kajetan 1886 births 1920 deaths 20th-century Polish painters 20th-century Polish male artists Art Nouveau designers Orientalist painters People from Drohobych Polish illustrators Polish Legions in World War I Polish people of Armenian descent Recipients of the Cross of Independence Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Polish male painters