UK
Collection

Young Man near the Window

Jacek Malczewski

  • Young Man near the Window 2
  • Young Man near the Window 3
Basic information
ID
Ж-1964
Author
Jacek Malczewski
Name
Young Man near the Window
Country
Poland
Technique
oil painting
Material
cardboard oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
38 x 46.5
Additionally
Type
painting
Genre
narrative art
Provenance
Collection of E. Reiter
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
A book is the main object of this work, although the artist does not show which one exactly it is. The book is depicted in the foreground and is accentuated by its large size. The figure of the young man, on the contrary, is framed and halved; the person is only partially included in the composition. Presumably, this work was created under the nostalgic influence of the artist’s childhood memories. A view from the residence of his uncle Feliks Karczewski in the village of Wielgie, Radom province, is recognizable. There, together with his cousins, under the tutelage of Adolf Dygasinski, a famous Polish writer, Jacek Malczewski grew intellectually and spiritually as a teenager. Nature of Poland, which often served as a background for symbolic images of the artist, rooted down to his childhood memories. Under the influence of his father, the artist became fascinated with Romantic literature, in particular with the poetry of Juliusz Slowacki.
Inscriptions
At the upper right of the painting there is an inscription "J. Malczewski"

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