Tadeusz Pruszkowski (15 April 1888 – 30 June 1942) was a Polish painter and art teacher, known primarily for his portraits.

Biography

He began his artistic studies in 1904 at the , under

Konrad Krzyżanowski Konrad Krzyżanowski (15 February 1872 – 25 May 1922) was a Ukrainian-born Polish illustrator and painter, primarily of portraits, who was considered to be an early exponent of Expressionism. Biography He was born in Kremenchuk. He grew up in K ...

.Brief biography
@ Culture.pl In 1908, he continued his studies in Paris, where he associated with Polish writers and artists belonging to the Royalist Club, a

monarchist Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...

organization. He also met his future wife there. After graduating, he travelled to Switzerland and Algeria; returning to Poland in 1911 and helping to create an artists' society known as "Young Art" (Młoda Sztuka). In 1914, he held his first solo exhibition at the "". Pruszkowski Self-portrait with a pipe

In 1915, all the members of Young Art joined the Polish Legion and the organization's funds were used to provide them with equipment. Pruszkowski adopted the name "Rdza" (rust), was assigned to a unit led by Captain

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 P ...

and served with a Regiment of

Uhlans Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...

. During a stay in

Volhynia Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. Th ...

he created numerous portraits of the officers and soldiers which were shown at an exhibition in the

Zachęta The Zachęta National Gallery of Art (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, ...

. In 1917, he became a member of the Reserves and later earned a pilot's license; becoming a lifelong enthusiast for

air racing Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a prev ...

. In 1922, following the death of Krzyżanowski, he was named a Professor at the School of Fine Arts. He took his students to paint en

plein aire ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

Kazimierz Dolny Kazimierz Dolny () is a small historic town in eastern Poland, on the right (eastern) bank of the Vistula river in Puławy County, Lublin Voivodeship. Historically it belongs to Lesser Poland, and in the past it was one of the most important citie ...

, where he later built a villa, and his classes were very popular. One of his students was

Caziel Caziel (born Kazimierz Józef Zielenkiewicz; 16 June 1906 – 25 August 1988) was a Polish artist who lived and worked in Paris during the inter-war period and who worked alongside a number of important figures of the School of Paris, includi ...

. He continued to participate in numerous exhibitions, both as exhibitor and organizer. In 1926 he directed a short comedy written by

Feliks Topolski Feliks Topolski RA (14 August 1907 – 24 August 1989) was a Polish expressionist painter and draughtsman working primarily in the United Kingdom. Biography Feliks Topolski was born on 14 August 1907 in Warsaw, Poland. He studied in the Acade ...

called ''Szczesliwy wisielec, czyli Kalifornia w Polsce'' (The Happy Hangman, or California in Poland). One of the "stars" was the painter

Janina Konarska Janina Konarska (later ''Konarska-Słonimska'', April 30, 1900 – June 9, 1975) was a Polish artist. She was born in Warsaw and was the wife of Antoni Słonimski. In 1932 she won a silver medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games ...

.Listing
@ IMDb. In 1930, he became Rector at the School of Fine Arts; participating in the process that resulted in school being promoted to the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute o ...

in 1932. During the following years, he was involved in creating several organizations for the promotion of Polish art and wrote essays for various publications. In 1935, he was awarded the "Golden Laurel" of the

Polish Academy of Literature The Polish Academy of Literature ( pl, Polska Akademia Literatury, PAL) was one of the most important state institutions of literary life in the Second Polish Republic, operating between 1933 and 1939 with the headquarters in Warsaw. It was foun ...

. His awards included the

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 ...

, the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on al ...

and the Cross of Merit. At the outbreak of World War II, he and his wife moved from Kazimierz Dolny to a small apartment in Warsaw and rarely ventured outside. He was arrested in June 1942, for aiding Jews and taken to

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...

headquarters (now the

Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom ( pl, Mauzoleum Walki i Męczeństwa) is a museum in Warsaw, Poland. It is a branch of the Museum of Independence. The museum presents the conditions in which Polish patriots and resistance fighters were jailed ...

). After an interrogation, he was in the process of being transferred to

Pawiak Prison Pawiak () was a prison built in 1835 in Warsaw, Congress Poland. During the January 1863 Uprising, it served as a transfer camp for Poles sentenced by Imperial Russia to deportation to Siberia. During the World War II German occupation of ...

, when he and another prisoner attempted to escape and were shot. They were buried by people from the nearby

Warsaw Ghetto The Warsaw Ghetto (german: Warschauer Ghetto, officially , "Jewish Residential District in Warsaw"; pl, getto warszawskie) was the largest of the Nazi ghettos during World War II and the Holocaust. It was established in November 1940 by the G ...

. After the war, his remains were recovered and interred in

Powązki Cemetery Powązki Cemetery (; pl, Cmentarz Powązkowski), also known as Stare Powązki ( en, Old Powązki), is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one of t ...

Selected paintings

File:Tadeusz Pruszkowski PORTRET DZIEWCZYNY.jpg, Portrait of a
Young Woman File:Tadeusz Pruszkowski Wit Stwosz 1920.jpg,

Wit Stwosz Veit Stoss (also: ''Veit Stoß'' and ''Stuoss''; pl, Wit Stwosz; before 1450about 20 September 1533) was a leading German sculptor, mostly working with wood, whose career covered the transition between the late Gothic and the Northern Renaissa ...

File:Tadeusz Pruszkowski Portret młodej malarki II.jpg, Portrait of a
Young Painter Pruszkowski Melancholia.jpg, Melancholia Pruszkowski-Piłsudski.jpg,

Józef Piłsudski ), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now Lithuania) , death_date = , death_place = Warsaw, Poland , constituency = , party = None (formerly PPS) , spouse = , children = Wan ...

References

External links

"Tadeusz Pruszkowski i jego związki z Kazimierzemadeusz Pruszkowski"
@ the Kazimierz Dolnym website

@ the Kazimierz Dolnym website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Pruszkowski, Tadeusz 1888 births 1942 deaths People from Łęczyca County People from Kalisz Governorate 19th-century Polish painters 19th-century Polish male artists 20th-century Polish painters 20th-century Polish male artists Polish portrait painters Academic staff of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw Polish Legions in World War I Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature Polish people executed by Nazi Germany Executed people from Łódź Voivodeship Burials at Powązki Cemetery Polish male painters Polish civilians killed in World War II