Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of

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 B ...

, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

paintings such as ''

Stańczyk Stańczyk (c. 1480–1560) () was the most famous Polish court jester. He was employed by three Polish kings: Alexander, Sigismund the Old and Sigismund Augustus. Name, identity and historicity Scarcity of sources gave rise to four dis ...

'' (1862), '' Rejtan'' (1866), ''

Union of Lublin The Union of Lublin (; ) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Kingd ...

'' (1869),''

Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God ''Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God'' () is a painting by the Polish artist Jan Matejko completed in 1873, in the collection of the Jagiellonian University, Kraków. It depicts Nicolaus Copernicus observing the heavens from a balc ...

'' (1873), or ''

Battle of Grunwald The Battle of Grunwald was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila), a ...

'' (1878). He was the author of numerous portraits, a gallery of Polish monarchs in book form, and

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

s in St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków. He is considered by many as the most celebrated

Polish painter Note: Names that cannot be confirmed in Wikipedia database nor through given sources are subject to removal. If you would like to add a new name please consider writing about the artist first. ''This is an alphabetical listing of Polish painters ...

, and sometimes as the "national painter" of Poland. Matejko spent most of his life in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

. He enrolled at the

Kraków Academy of Fine Arts The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (, usually abbreviated to ''ASP''), is a public institution of higher education located in the centre of Kraków, Poland. It is the oldest Polish fine art academy, established in 1818 and granted f ...

at age fourteen, where he studied under notable artists such as

Wojciech Korneli Stattler Wojciech Korneli Stattler or Albert Kornel Stattler (20 April 1800 – 6 November 1875) was a Polish Romantic painter of Swiss aristocratic ancestry, who started training in Vienna and at age 17 went to St. Luke's Academy in Rome. From 1831 he ta ...

and

Władysław Łuszczkiewicz Władysław Łuszczkiewicz (3 September 1828 – 23 May 1900) was a Polish historian and painter of the late Romanticism in Poland, Romantic era from Kraków, active in the period of the foreign partitions of Poland. He was a professor at the Jan ...

and completed his first major historical painting in 1853. His early exposure to revolutions in Kraków and the military service of his brothers influenced his artistic themes. After studying art in Munich and Vienna, he returned to Kraków and set up a studio. He gradually gained recognition, selling key paintings that settled his debts and created some of his most famous works, including ''

'' and ''

Skarga's Sermon ''The Sermon of Piotr Skarga'' or ''Skarga's Sermon'' () is a large oil painting by Jan Matejko, finished in 1864, now in the National Museum, Warsaw in Poland. It depicts a sermon on political matters by the Jesuit priest Piotr Skarga, a chief ...

''. Matejko's art played a key role in promoting

Polish history The history of Poland spans over a thousand years, from Lechites, medieval tribes, Christianization of Poland, Christianization and Kingdom of Poland, monarchy; through Polish Golden Age, Poland's Golden Age, Polonization, expansionism and be ...

and national identity at a time when Poland was partitioned and lacked political autonomy. At the same time, Matejko's painting style has been criticised as old-fashioned and overly theatrical, labeled as "antiquarian realism". His works often lost their nuanced historical significance when displayed abroad due to the audience's unfamiliarity with Polish history. Matejko's support for the Polish cause was not just through his art; he also contributed financially and materially to the January Uprising of 1863. Later, he became director of the art academy in Kraków, which was eventually renamed the

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (, usually abbreviated to ''ASP''), is a public higher education, institution of higher education located in the centre of Kraków, Poland. It is the oldest Polish fine art academy, established in 1 ...

. A number of his students became prominent artists in their own right, including

Maurycy Gottlieb Maurycy Gottlieb ; 21 February 1856 – 17 July 1879) was a Polish-Jewish realist Painting, painter of the Romanticism in Poland, Romantic period. Considered one of the most talented students of Jan Matejko, Gottllieb died at the age of 23. Car ...

Jacek Malczewski Jacek Malczewski (; 15 July 1854 – 8 October 1929) was a Polish symbolist painter who was one of the central figures of the patriotic Young Poland movement. His works combined the predominant style of his time with historical motifs of Pol ...

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 ...

and

Stanisław Wyspiański Stanisław Mateusz Ignacy Wyspiański (; 15 January 1869 – 28 November 1907) was a Polish playwright, painter, poet, and interior and furniture designer. A patriotic writer, he created symbolic national dramas accordant with the artisti ...

. He received several honors during his lifetime, including the

French Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

. Matejko was among the notable people to receive an unsolicited letter from the German philosopher

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

, as the latter tipped, in January 1889, into his psychotic breakdown while in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Biography

Youth

Matejko was born on 24 June 1838, in the

Free City of Kraków The Free, Independent, and Strictly Neutral City of Cracow and its District, more commonly known as the Free City of Cracow () and the Republic of Cracow (), was a city republic created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, which included the Poli ...

. His father,

Franciszek Ksawery Matejko Franciszek Ksawery Matejko () (1789 or 13 January 1793 in Roudnice – 26 October 1860 in Kraków) was a Czech musician, father of Polish painter Jan Matejko. He was probably the son of farmer Josef Matějka and peasant woman Magdalena Knava fr ...

() (born 1789 or 13 January 1793, died 26 October 1860), a Czech from the village of

Roudnice Roudnice is a municipality and village in Hradec Králové District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 800 inhabitants. Etymology The name is derived from the red shades of colour (in Czech ''rudá'') of the water ...

, was a graduate of the

Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; ) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 94,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech R ...

school who later became a tutor and music teacher. He first worked for the Wodzicki family in Kościelniki, Poland, then moved to

, where he married the half-German, half-Polish Joanna Karolina Rossberg (Rozberg). Jan was the ninth of eleven children. His mother died when he was very young and his older brother, Franciszek had a hand in the manner of his upbringing. He grew up in a kamienica building on

Floriańska Street Floriańska Street (, ) is one of the main streets in Kraków Old Town and one of the most famous promenades in the city. The street forms part of the regular grid plan of ''Stare Miasto'' (the Old Town), the merchants' town that extends the me ...

. After the death of his mother in 1845, Jan and his siblings were cared for by his maternal aunt, Anna Zamojska. At a young age he witnessed the Kraków revolution of 1846 and the 1848

siege of Kraków The siege of Kraków was one of the battles during the Swedish invasion of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Second Northern War / ''Deluge''). Lasting for two and a half weeks, it started on September 25 and ended on October 13, 1655. The c ...

by the Austrians, two events which put an end to the

. Two of his older brothers served in both armed conflicts, under General

Józef Bem Józef Zachariasz Bem (, ; 14 March 1794 – 10 December 1850) was a Polish engineer and general, an Ottoman pasha and a national hero of Poland and Hungary, and a figure intertwined with other European patriotic movements. Like Tadeusz Kościus ...

. One of them,

Edmund Edmund is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and nobles *Ed ...

, fell in battle and the other was forced into exile. Matejko attended St. Anne's High School, but he dropped out in 1851 because of poor grades. Matejko showed an early artistic talent, but had great difficulty with other academic subjects. He never fully mastered a foreign language. Despite that, and because of his exceptional skill, at the age of fourteen he entered the

School of Fine Arts in Kraków The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (, usually abbreviated to ''ASP''), is a public institution of higher education located in the centre of Kraków, Poland. It is the oldest Polish fine art academy, established in 1818 and granted f ...

, where he was a contemporary of

Artur Grottger Artur Grottger (11 November 1837 – 13 December 1867) was a Polish Romantic painter and graphic artist, one of the most prominent artists of the mid 19th century under the partitions of Poland, despite a life cut short by incurable illness. B ...

from 1852 to 1858. His teachers included

and

. He opted for

historical 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 Bi ...

as his specialism, and finished his first major work, ''The Shuyski Tsars before Zygmunt III'' (''Carowie Szujscy przed Zygmuntem III''), in 1853 (he would return to this theme a year before his death, in 1892. oogle Books does not display page number for this book/ref> During this time, he began exhibiting historical paintings at the

Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Arts The Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Arts (, TPSP) is a social group of artists, artisans and their supporters founded in Kraków in 1854, under the Austrian Partition of Poland. Today, the Society operates from the Art Nouveau Palace of Art ere ...

from 1855.Bochnak (1975), p. 185 His graduation project in 1858 was ''

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old (, ; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the son of Casimir IV of P ...

ennobles professors of the

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

'' (''Zygmunt I nadaje szlachectwo profesorom Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego'') and proved to be seminal. After graduation in 1859, Matejko received a scholarship to study with

Hermann Anschütz Hermann Anschütz (12 October 1802 – 30 August 1880) was a German painter and professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Anschütz was born in Koblenz. His father Jos ...

at the

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (, 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, Germany. In the second half of the 19th centur ...

. The following year he received a further scholarship to study at the

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna () is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1688 as a private academy, it is now a public university. The academy is also known for twice rejecting admission to a young Adolf Hitler in 1907 and 1908. ...

, but after only a few days and a major quarrel with Christian Ruben, Matejko returned to Kraków. He set up a studio at his family home in

. It took years before he met with commercial success. He struggled as the proverbial "starving artist", who finally celebrated when he managed to sell the ''Shuyski Tsars...'' canvas for five

florins The Florentine florin was a gold coin (in Italian ''Fiorino d'oro'') struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains () of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a pu ...

. In 1860, against a background of cultural erosion in

partitioned Poland Partition may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Partition'' (1987 film), directed by Ken McMullen * ''Partition'' (2007 film), directed by Vic Sarin * '' Partition: 1947'', or ''Viceroy's House'', a 2017 film Music * Par ...

Matejko published an illustrated album, ''Clothing in Poland'' (''Ubiory w Polsce''), a project reflecting his intense interest in the historical record of his nation and his desire to promote it among Polish people and incidentally stir their patriotism. His financial situation improved when he sold two paintings, ''The assassination of Wapowski during the coronation of Henri de Valois'' (''Zabicie Wapowskiego w czasie koronacji Henryka Walezego'', 1861) and ''

Jan Kochanowski Jan Kochanowski (; 1530 – 22 August 1584) was a Polish Renaissance poet who wrote in Latin and Polish and established poetic patterns that would become integral to Polish literary language. He has been called the greatest Polish poet before ...

over the body of his daughter Urszulka'' (''Jan Kochanowski nad zwłokami Urszulki'', 1862), which settled his debts. 1862 saw the completion of his ''

'', initially received without much acclaim, but in due course becoming one of Matejko's best known works. It marks a manifest departure in Matejko's art, from mere illustrator of history to commentator upon its moral content. During the

January Uprising The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...

of 1863, in which he did not directly take part on account of his poor health, Matejko supported it financially, donating most of his savings to the cause, and personally transporting arms to an insurgents' camp.Bochnak (1975), p. 186 Subsequently, his ''

'' (''Kazanie Skargi''), May 1864, was exhibited in the gallery of the

, which gained him much publicity. On 5 November that same year, he was elected member of the ''Kraków Scientific Society'' (''Towarzystwo Naukowe Krakowskie'') in recognition for his contributions to depicting great national historical themes. On 21 November he married Teodora Giebułtowska, with whom he went on to have five children: Beata,

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer * Saint Helena (disambiguation), this includes places Places Greece * Helena ...

, Tadeusz, Jerzy and Regina. His daughter, Helena, also an artist, later helped

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

victims and was awarded the

Cross of Independence Cross of Independence () was the second highest Polish military decoration 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 classes. History The Cr ...

by President

Stanisław Wojciechowski Stanisław Wojciechowski (; 15 March 1869 – 9 April 1953) was a Polish people, Polish politician and scholar who served as President of Poland between 1922 and 1926, during the Second Polish Republic. He was elected president in 1922, followi ...

Rise to fame

After 1865 Matejko's international recognition grew. His ''Skarga's Sermon'' was awarded a gold medal at the 1865 Paris Salon, prompting Count to buy it for 10,000 florins. In 1867, his painting '' Rejtan'' was awarded a gold medal at the

World Exhibition A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...

in Paris and was acquired by Emperor

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

for 50,000 franks. His next major painting was the ''

'' (''Unia Lubelska''), created during 1867–1869. Acclaimed in Paris, it won Matejko the

Cross of the Légion d'honneur A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two intersecting lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a saltire in ...

.Bochnak (1975), p. 187 and was purchased by the Sejm of Galicia. It was followed by ''

Stefan Batory Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

'' (''Stefan Batory pod Pskowem''), finished in 1871. In 1872, he visited

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and upon his return to Kraków finished ''The

'' (''Astronom Kopernik, czyli rozmowa z Bogiem''), which was acquired by the

. From the 1870s onwards he was aided by a secretary, Marian Gorzkowski, who became his personal assistant, his closest friend, a model for a number of his paintings, and the author of a memoir about Matejko. In 1872, during an exhibition in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

he was offered the directorship of the

Prague Academy of Fine Arts The Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (; AVU) is an art college in Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1799, it is the oldest art college in the country. The school offers twelve master's degree programs and one doctoral program. History Starting ...

, quickly followed by a similar offer from the Kraków School of Fine Arts. He accepted the Kraków position, and was for many years its principal ( rector). In 1874, he finished '' Zawieszenie dzwonu Zygmunta'' (''The Hanging of the Sigismund bell''). In 1878, he produced another masterpiece, ''The

''.Bochnak (1975), p. 188 That year he received an "honorary grand gold" medal in Paris, while Kraków city council presented him with a ceremonial

scepter A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia, signifying sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

, as a symbol of his "royal status in fine art". In 1879 came his ''Rok 1863 - Polonia'' (''The Year 1863 - Polonia''), his depiction of the

. Begun in 1864 as the Uprising was waning, he abandoned the canvas for a number of years, perhaps due to the loss of several close friends and family members in the conflict. It languished unfinished until prince

Władysław Czartoryski Prince Władysław (Ladislaus) Czartoryski (3 July 1828 – 23 June 1894) was a Polish noble, political activist in exile, collector of art, and founder of the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków. Early life Czartoryski was born in Warsaw, Congres ...

became interested in acquiring it. To this day it is considered unfinished. 1880-1882 were taken up with another large work, ''The

Prussian Tribute The Prussian Homage or Prussian Tribute (; ) was the formal investiture of Albert, Duke of Prussia ( 1490-1568), with his Duchy of Prussia as a fief of the Kingdom of Poland that took place on 10 April 1525 in the then capital of Kraków, Kingdo ...

'' (''Hołd Pruski'') which Matejko gifted to "the Polish nation". It earned him the

honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

of Kraków. One of the city's squares was renamed Matejko Square. In 1883 he finished ''

Jan Sobieski John III Sobieski ( (); (); () 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696. Born into Polish nobility, Sobieski was educated at the Jagiellonian University and toured Eur ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

'' (''Jan Sobieski pod Wiedniem'') which came to be presented to

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

as a "gift of the Polish nation". Being a member of the delegation delivering the canvas to Rome, Matejko was awarded the Knight Commander with Star of the Order of Pius IX.Bochnak (1975), p. 189 The painting is on permanent exhibition in the ''Sobieski Room'' at the

Vatican Museums The Vatican Museums (; ) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the best-known Roman sculptures and ...

. Around that time he also became vocal on a number of political issues, publishing letters on topics such as Polish-Russian relations. He was also very engaged in efforts to protect and reconstruct historical monuments in Kraków. In 1886, he finished a painting relating to French rather than Polish history, ''The Virgin of Orléans'', a portrayal of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

. In 1887 Matejko received an honorary doctorate from the

, and recognition from the Austrian Society, ''Litteris et Artibus''. In 1888 he completed ''The Battle of Racławice'' (''Bitwa pod Racławicami''). In 1888-1899, to justify his new academic title, he published a group of twelve drawings with accompanying commentary, '' The

History of civilisation in Poland ''History of Civilization in Poland'' () is a cycle of twelve oil sketches on canvas and wood, created by the Polish nominal painter Jan Matejko in 1889 with accompanying commentaries. The originals are kept at the Museum of the Royal Castle, War ...

'' (''Dzieje Cywilizacji w Polsce''). Between 1890 and 1892, he published a series of works on paper, portraying all the

monarchs of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th ...

(''Poczet królów i książąt polskich'' - ''The kings and princes of Poland'', including queens), whose popularity turned them into the canon portrayals of their subjects. 1891 marked his ''

Constitution of the 3 May The Constitution of 3 May 1791, titled the Government Act, was a written constitution for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was adopted by the Great Sejm that met between 1788 and 1792. The Commonwealth was a dual monarchy comprising t ...

'' (''Konstytucja 3 Maja''). He went on to compose another large scale work, ''The Oaths of Jan Kazimierz'' (''Śluby Jana Kazimierza''), but death intervened. In 1892, a year before his death, he completed his ''Self-portrait'' (''Autoportret'').

Portraits and other work

In addition to the history paintings Matejko was a prolific portraitist. His subjects included Jagiellonian University rectors

Józef Szujski Józef Szujski (16 June 1835 – 7 February 1883) was a Polish politician, historian, poet and professor of the Jagiellonian University. Life Szujski was born on 16 June 1835 in Tarnów. He studied at Tarnów, then at Kraków (1854) and at Vi ...

and

Stanisław Tarnowski Count Stanisław Tarnowski (7 November 1837 – 31 December 1917) was a Polish nobleman (''szlachcic''), historian, literary critic and publicist. Life He was born on 7 November 1837 and hailed from an aristocratic family. His father was Ja ...

, and numerous portraits of family and friends, including ''Wife in her wedding dress'' ("Żona w sukni ślubnej") (1865, destroyed by his wife during a quarrel and recreated in 1879) and a self-portrait (1892). Altogether Matejko authored 320

oil paintings Oil painting is a painting method involving the procedure of painting with pigments combined with a drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on canvas, wood panel, or copper for several centuries. ...

and several thousand drawings and

watercolours Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting method"Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to the S ...

. He also designed the monumental

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...

murals for the

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (, , ) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Baltic region, Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resources of standing rock (though Glacial erratic, ...

St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków (1889–1891), which in 1978 became a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

alongside the Historic Centre of Kraków.

Death

Matejko suffered from a

peptic ulcer Peptic ulcer disease is when the inner part of the stomach's gastric mucosa (lining of the stomach), the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus, gets damaged. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while ...

, and died in Kraków on 1 November of internal bleeding. His funeral on 5 November drew large crowds, and his death was newsworthy in at least thirty two European newspapers. He was buried in Kraków's

Rakowicki Cemetery Rakowicki Cemetery (English: ; ) is a historic necropolis and a cultural heritage monument located on 26 Rakowicka Street in Kraków, Poland. It lies within the Administrative District No. 1 ''Stare Miasto'' meaning "Old Town" – distinct from ...

.Bochnak (1975), p. 190

Significance, style and themes

He is counted among the most significant of

Polish painters Note: Names that cannot be confirmed in Wikipedia database nor through given sources are subject to removal. If you would like to add a new name please consider writing about the artist first. ''This is an alphabetical listing of Polish painter ...

, and considered by many as "Poland's greatest history painter" or as "a cult figure for the nation at large... lreadyby the time of his death.".

Wilhelm von Kaulbach Wilhelm von Kaulbach (15 October 18057 April 1874) was a Germans, German painter, noted mainly as a muralist, but also as a book illustrator. His murals decorate buildings in Munich. He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Bio ...

and his "historical symbolism" style had a profound influence on Matejko. This aimed not so much at an exact representation of past events, but gave the artist freedom to interpret and opened the possibility to blend historical data within a chosen perspective. Matejko's technique in the Neoclassical genre has been praised for its "luminosity, detail and imagination". (PDF; 261 kB) He succeeded in propagating Polish history, and fostering the memory of an erstwhile historic state lost to the world, while his country remained carved up between three European powers which afforded its Polish natives no prospect of political

self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...

. His works, disseminated through thousands of reproductions, have become standard illustrations of the many key events in

. His 1860 illustrated album, ''Ubiory w Polsce'' (Costume in Poland), is seen as a valuable historical reference.

Criticism and controversy

Critics of his work have pointed to his use of traditional, outdated or bombastic painting style, discrediting him for "antiquarian realism" and "theatrical effects". At exhibitions abroad, the nuanced historical context of his works was often lost on foreign audiences. Occasionally his paintings would cause controversy. For example, ''Rejtan'' offended a number of prominent members of the

Polish nobility The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...

, who saw the painting as an indictment of their entire social class. His paintings were subject to censorship in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

planned to destroy both ''The Battle of Grunwald'' and ''The Prussian Homage'', which the authorities saw as an offence against the German view of history. They formed part of the very many Polish paintings and art which the Germans planned to destroy in their war on Polish culture, but the Polish resistance successfully hid both.

Awards

Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was o ...

, 1870 for his ''

'' 1869 * Médaille d'or at the

Salon de Paris The Salon (), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art event in the Western world. At the ...

in 1867 for '' Rejtan '' * Kunst-medaille 1873, Vienna * Membre de l'

Académie des Beaux-Arts The (; ) is a French learned society based in Paris. It is one of the five academies of the . The current president of the academy (2021) is Alain-Charles Perrot, a French architect. Background The academy was created in 1816 in Paris as a me ...

(1873) * Médaille d'honneur at the

Exposition Universelle (1878) The 1878 Universal Exposition (, ), also known as the 1878 Paris Exposition, 1878 World Fair, or 1878 World Expo, was a world's fair held in Paris, French Third Republic, France, from 1 May to 10 November 1878, to celebrate the recovery of Franc ...

* Commander's Cross of the

Order of Franz Joseph The Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph () was founded by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 2 December 1849, on the first anniversary of his accession to the imperial throne. Classes The order was originally awarded in three classes: ''G ...

* Commander's Cross of the

Order of the Iron Crown The Order of the Iron Crown () was an order of merit that was established on 5 June 1805 in the Kingdom of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte under his title of Napoleon I, King of Italy. The order took its name from the ancient Iron Crown of Lombard ...

* Commander's Cross with Star of the

Order of Pius IX The Order of Pope Pius IX (), also referred as the Pian Order (, ), is a papal order of knighthood originally founded by Pope Pius IV in 1560. It is the highest honor currently conferred by the Holy See (two higher honors, the Supreme Order of C ...

* Gold Medal of the Munich Academy of Art * Papal Gold Medal of

Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the A ...

* Medal "Pro litteris et artibus", Vienna * Odznaka Honorowa za Dzieła Sztuki i Umiejętności, Poland (1887) *

Honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

of the cities of

Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

Przemyśl Przemyśl () is a city in southeastern Poland with 56,466 inhabitants, as of December 2023. Data for territorial unit 1862000. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship. It was previously the capital of Prz ...

Ivano-Frankivsk Ivano-Frankivsk (, ), formerly Stanyslaviv, Stanislav and Stanisławów, is a city in western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast as well as Ivano-Frankivsk Raion within the oblast. Ivano-Frankivsk also host ...

, Stryj and Brzezany *

Doctor honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

of the

(1887) * Member of the

Institut de France The ; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the . It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute manages approximately ...

(1874), of the

Berlin Academy of Arts The Academy of Arts () is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The academy's predecessor organization was founded in 1696 by Elector F ...

(1874), of the Accademia Raffaello,

Urbino Urbino ( , ; Romagnol: ''Urbìn'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, southwest of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially und ...

(1878) and of the Wiener Kunstlergenossenschaft (1888).

Legacy

Matejko's aim was to focus on major themes in Polish history using historical sources to paint events in minute historical detail. His earliest paintings are purely historical depictions without didactic content. The later works, starting with ''

'' (1862), are intended to inspire the viewer with a patriotic message. ''Stańczyk'' focuses on the court jester, portrayed as a symbol of his country's conscience, sitting in a chair, against the background of a party - a lonely figure reflecting on war, ignored by the joyful crowd.Wanda Małaszewska. "Matejko, Jan." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 May 2014, http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T055919 His paintings are on display in numerous Polish museums, including: the

National Museum in Warsaw The National Museum in Warsaw (, 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 ( Egyptian, Greek, Roman), counting about 11,000 pieces, an ...

National Museum in Kraków The National Museum in Kraków (), popularly abbreviated as MNK, is the largest museum in Poland, and the main branch of Poland's National Museum, which has several independent branches with permanent collections around the country. Established in ...

National Museum in Poznań The National Museum in Poznań (), Poland, abbreviated MNP, is a state-owned cultural institution and one of the largest museums in Poland. It houses a rich collection of Culture of Poland#Art, Polish painting from the 16th century on, and a coll ...

and

National Museum in Wrocław The National Museum in Wrocław (), established 28 March 1947 and officially inaugurated on 11 July 1948, is one of Poland's main branches of the National Museum of Poland, National Museum system. It holds one of the largest collections of contemp ...

. The National Museum, Kraków has a building entirely dedicated to Matejko - ''The Jan Matejko House'' (''Dom Jana Matejki''), occupying his former studio and family home in Floriańska Street and opened in 1898. Another museum dedicated to Matejko, is the '' Jan Matejko Manor House'' (Dworek Jana Matejki w Krzesławicach), in the village of Krzesławice, where Matejko had bought a small estate in 1865.Bochnak (1975), p. 191

As teacher and influencer

Over 80 painters were Matejko's students, many influenced during his tenure as director of the ''Kraków School of Fine Arts'', and are called members of the "Matejko School". Some went on to become members of the brief flowering of the

Young Poland Young Poland ( ) was a modernist period in Polish visual arts, literature and music, covering roughly the years between 1890 and 1918. It was a result of strong aesthetic opposition to the earlier ideas of Positivism. Young Poland promoted tre ...

(''Młoda Polska'') movement, which encompassed literature, music, theatre as well as visual arts and was dissipated by

. Matejko has been dubbed "Father of Young Poland". Prominent among his students were: *

Ephraim Moses Lilien Maurycy "Ephraim Moses" Lilien (; ; 23 May 1874 – 18 July 1925) was a Polish-Jewish Art Nouveau illustrator and printmaker particularly noted for his art on Jewish themes and his influence on the Bezalel school art movement. He is sometimes call ...

Helena Matejko Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer * Saint Helena (disambiguation), this includes places Places Greece * Helena ...

, Matejko's daughter *

* Jozef Pankiewicz * Antoni Piotrowski *

Witold Pruszkowski Witold Pruszkowski (14 January 1846, Bershad - 10 October 1896, Budapest) was a Polish painter and graphic artist in the Symbolism (movement), Symbolist style. Biography He spent his childhood in Odessa and Kiev. The family emigrated to Dieppe ...

Jan Styka Jan Styka (April 8, 1858 – April 11, 1925) was a Polish painter noted for producing large historical, battle-piece, and Christian religious panoramas. He was also illustrator and poet. Known also as a great patriotic speaker - his speeches were ...

Włodzimierz Tetmajer Włodzimierz Tetmajer (December 31, 1861 in Harklowa – December 26, 1923 in Kraków) was a Polish painter with works in collections of the National Museum in Warsaw and Kraków. Biography Włodzimierz Tetmajer was born in Harklowa near Kr ...

* Józef Unierzyski, Matejko's son-in-law *

Leon Wyczółkowski Leon Jan Wyczółkowski (; 11 April 1852 – 27 December 1936) was a Polish painter and educator who was one of the leading painters of the Young Poland movement, as well as the principal representative of Polish Realism (arts), Realism in art of ...

File:Treny normal.jpg,

over his dead daughter's body, 1862 File:Samuel Zborowski śmierć.jpg,

Samuel Zborowski Samuel Zborowski (died 1584) was a Polish military commander and a notable member of the ''szlachta'' (Polish nobility). He is best remembered for having been executed by supporters of the Polish king Stefan Batory and chancellor Jan Zamoyski; a ...

on his way to his execution File:Wladyslaw I Lokietek (76841156) (cropped).jpg, Wladyslaw I Lokietek from the Gallery of Polish Monarchs File:Konstytucja 3 Maja Sejm Czteroletni Komisja edukacyjna Rozbior.jpg, ''The

Constitution of May 3 The Constitution of 3 May 1791, titled the Government Act, was a written constitution for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was adopted by the Great Sejm that met between 1788 and 1792. The Commonwealth was a dual monarchy comprising th ...

. Four-Year Sejm. Educational Commission Partition. A.D. 1795'' Royal Castle File:Jan Matejko-Astronomer Copernicus-Conversation with God.jpg, ''

'', 1873. In the background:

Frombork Cathedral Frombork Cathedral or the Archcathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Andrew () in Frombork, Poland, is a Roman Catholic church located in the small town of Frombork in northern Poland. Constructed between 1329 an ...

File:Jan Matejko, ritratto di donna.jpg, Pen and ink drawing possibly of

Bona Sforza Bona Sforza (2 February 1494 – 19 November 1557) was Queen consort, Queen of Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569), Poland and List of Lithuanian consorts, Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the second wife of Sigismund the Old, and Duchess of Bari and ...

, 1861 File:Jan Matejko - Ociemniały Wit Stwosz z wnuczką.jpg, '' Blind Veit Stoss with granddaughter'' (1865),

Selected work

The following is a selected list of Matejko's works, in chronological order.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* *
JSTOR

External links

Works by Jan Matejko
chambroch.com

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061117081555/http://www.wawel.net/malarstwo/matejko.htm Matejko gallery wawel.net
Matejko gallery
malarze.com
Jan Matejko
culture.pl
"Clothing and Costumes..." From the Collection of Jan Matejko

"Artists from the School of Jan Matejko"

www.Jan-Matejko.org
A website dedicated to Matejko {{DEFAULTSORT:Matejko, Jan 1838 births 1893 deaths 19th-century Polish male artists 19th-century painters of historical subjects 19th-century Polish painters People from the Free City of Kraków Painters from Austria-Hungary 19th-century war artists Academic art Artists from Kraków Burials at Rakowicki Cemetery Deaths from peritonitis Equine artists Polish history painters Jagiellonian University alumni Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts alumni Academic staff of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts

Jan Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Num ...

Members of the Académie des beaux-arts Military art Polish Austro-Hungarians Polish male non-fiction writers Polish illustrators Polish male painters Polish people of Czech descent Polish Roman Catholics Polish war artists Polish portrait painters Recipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art Recipients of the Legion of Honour Polish recipients of the Legion of Honour