The Great Painters

Olga Boznańska

- eminent painter in skirt 😉

Olga Boznańska
Olga Boznańska in 1930, Wikipedia

Olga Boznańska

(1865-1940)

A "lyrical" painter - she painted flowers, landscapes, portraits. At a time when women were forbidden to enter higher schools of fine arts, she was able to master her painting craft to perfection, develop her own personal style and gain widespread recognition. She was among Polish artists the closest to impressionism, although she did not belong to any school, group, direction or current. She was pursuing her own vision of art. She offered intellectual and spiritual painting, based on refined and subtle colours. Her paintings are bright, luminous, very atmospheric. She is one of the greatest painters in history.

BRILLIANT PORTRAITIST-PSYCHOLOGIST

LANDSCAPE

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EXCELLENT COLORIST

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FLOWER PAINTER

PAINTERLY INDIVIDUALITY

IMAGES BEHIND THE FOG

Olga Boznańska

1865

On April 15 in Cracow Olga Boznańska was born, daughter of Adam Nowina Boznański (a talented engineer) and Eugenia Mondant (a Frenchwoman), who was drawing herself and she wanted her daughters (Olga older and Izabela younger by 2 years) to practice arts. Olga's parents owned a tenement house at 21 Wolska Street (today Piłsudskiego Street).

1878

she went with her family to Paris for the World Exhibition
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1883

drawing lessons with Kazimierz Pochwalski. There was no question of studying at the School of Fine Arts, where under no circumstances were women accepted.

1884–1885

Olga Boznańska attended A. Baraniecki's courses, where she received a solid background in the workshop.

1886

At the age of 21, Olga Boznańska began her studies in Munich - as a woman she was not admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts, so she studied in K. Kricheldorf's studio. That year she had her first exhibition in Cracow

1889

She gave up her studies with the professors and rented her own studio in Munich. This year her exhibition was also held in Warsaw

1892

exhibitions in Berlin and Warsaw, this year also the mother died

1893

exhibitions in Berlin, Prague and Munich, where she received a gold medal. Whereas in Krakow the jury of the Society of Friends of Fine Arts rejected her painting

1894

For "Portrait of painter Paweł Nauen" Olga Boznańska received a gold medal and distinction in London for "Portrait of Miss Mary Breme" in Vienna from the hands of Archduke Karol Ludwik. Henryk Rodakowski (1823-1894) wrote a congratulatory letter to her: "The great success that the portrait painted by the Lady at the Vienna exhibition has caused me to wish you to please the Cracovians with your work - You want to give us, gracious Lady, an opportunity to admire your work and enjoy your talent"

1895

at the request of Prof. T. Hummel, he was replaced by the head of the Painting School in Munich

1896

Julian Fałat (1853-1929) offered her a professorship at the School of Fine Arts, which she couldn't have been a student of 10 years earlier. However, Olga Boznańska decided to stay in Munich. That year the jury of the Société des Beaux-Arts accepted the artist's paintings for the exhibition, which was a great success

1898

moved to Paris; exhibited in Warsaw, Lviv, Berlin and Paris

1900

exhibitions at the New Gallery in London (gold medal) and at the World Exhibition in Paris (distinction). Unfortunately, this year is also a year of breaking off with Józef Czajkowski. For the artist time stood still - for the rest of her life she dressed according to the 1900s fashion...

1901

Paris quickly appreciated her talent - the French government bought "Brittany" for the state art collection. This year also sees the first exhibition of Olga Boznañska overseas - in Pittsburgh (USA).

1906

the artist's father died in Paris, leaving her an inheritance of a family tenement house in Krakow, whose rent provided her with a modest living in Paris

1907

Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh awarded her a silver medal

Olga Boznańska