Collection

Gardener (Portrait of Rudolf Dobrzanski)

Jacek Malczewski

  • Gardener (Portrait of Rudolf Dobrzanski) 2
  • Gardener (Portrait of Rudolf Dobrzanski) 3
Basic information
ID
Ж-103
Author
Jacek Malczewski
Name
Gardener (Portrait of Rudolf Dobrzanski)
Date of creation
1896
Country
Poland
Technique
oil painting
Material
canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
63.3 x 42.3
Additionally
Information about author
Author
Jacek Malczewski
Artist's lifetime
1854–1929
Biography
Jacek Malczewski (July 14, 1854, Radom, Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire – October 8, 1929, Krakow, Republic of Poland) was an outstanding artist and one of the most prominent representatives of Polish Symbolism. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Krakow, where his teacher was Jan Matejko. The artist participated in an archeological expedition to Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Greece, which was organized by Count Karol Lanckoronski. He also visited Munich and Italy. Jacek Malczewski was one of the founders of the art union "Sztuka" ("Art"). The artist's creative heritage includes landscapes and portraiture, symbolic compositions, interpretations of religious themes, and numerous self-portraits in various images.
Object description
Piotr Hubal-Dobrzanski was a lawyer, art connoisseur, and collector; he was one of the first to believe in Malczewski's talent and introduced him to Jan Matejko. He was a close friend of the artist, although he was a little older than him. His son Rudolf is depicted in the presented work among the green garden; he is dressed in traditional for that period children's clothing stylized as a sailors uniform. Great Britain was the homeland of that style. Queen Victoria contributed to its popularity by dressing her son in a sailor suit. In the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, this style was often reflected in women's and men's fashion. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, clothing stylized as a sailors uniform was a mandatory attribute of the apparel of children, who belonged to the high society in Europe and the Russian Empire.
Inscriptions
At the upper right of the painting there is an inscription "J Malczewski 96 Juli"
Portrayed person
The name of the person portrayed
Rudolf Dobrzanski
Lifetime of the person portrayed
1887–1950