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Sketches of Horses

Jan Greim

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Basic information
ID
Г-V-608
Author
Jan Greim
Name
Sketches of Horses
Country
russian empire
Culture
Modern times
Technique
drawing
Material
paper pencil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
25.2 x 35
Additionally
Information about author
Author
Jan Greim
Artist's lifetime
1860–1886 (?)
Country
russian empire
Biography
Jan Wiktor Greim (24 August/6 July?/1860 – 5 December/17 December?/1886) was a Polish and Ukrainian painter and graphic artist. He was born in Kamianets-Podilskyi into the family of Michał Greim (1828–1911), an artist, photographer, numismatist, director of the provincial printing house, and owner of one of the first photographic establishments in Podillia. From childhood, he was interested in music (he played the violin) and drawing. He gained his first recognition in the third grade when he received a letter of commendation for a drawing he had submitted to a competition. In 1875, he went to Warsaw and stayed there until May 1876. In 1877–1882, as a scholarship holder of the Kingdom of Poland, he studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, first as an auditor and later as a full-time student. In February 1879, he received a small silver medal for his landscapes of his native Kamianets-Podilskyi. During his studies, he won about 10 more silver medals, both small and large. To improve his skills and earn money, he copied paintings by prominent, mainly Spanish, masters. In 1882, due to tuberculosis, he left St. Petersburg for treatment abroad. In 1883, J. Greim began studying at the Munich Academy of Arts under Alexander von Wagner (1838–1919) and created the painting "Calvary", which brought him recognition. In 1884, J. Greim returned to St. Petersburg, where he won a large silver medal. That same year, he created the works "Moses", "The Ataman's Ring", and "Two Horsemen in Battle". J. Greim is the author of numerous portraits of well-known cultural and political figures in Kamianets-Podilskyi. The artist created many graphic landscapes of Podillia towns and villages, which were published in 1884 in the Warsaw magazine "Kłosy" (Ears of corn) as illustrations for the essay "On Small Roads" by Józef Rollé (1829–1894). On 4 November 1885, J. Greim received a small gold medal for his work "Daedalus and Icarus". He hoped to win a large gold medal, which would provide a six-year scholarship for an internship in Rome. In February 1886, due to deteriorating health, the artist returned to Kamianets-Podilskyi, where he died on 5 December 1886. After his son's death, M. Greim set up an art gallery of his works in his house. The further fate of the works is unknown.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery