UK
Collection

Poisoned Well (a sketch)

Jacek Malczewski

  • Poisoned Well (a sketch) 2
  • Poisoned Well (a sketch) 3
Basic information
ID
Ж-10
Author
Jacek Malczewski
Name
Poisoned Well (a sketch)
Date of creation
1907
Country
Poland
Technique
oil painting
Material
wood oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
39.8 x 60
Additionally
Type
painting
Genre
symbolic art
Provenance
the Lubomirski collection
Exposition
Lozinski Palace
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 well is depicted in the middle of the work against the background of greenery. In the center of the painting, there is a man who is leaning his left hand on the edge of a well and drinking water from a small jug, which he holds in his right hand. On the left, there is a pensive young girl sitting on the edge of the well with her arms crossed. She is dressed in a grey blouse and a blue apron with winged sleeves on the top of it. The chimera sits on the edge of the well on the right. She is depicted as a woman with butterflies behind her back; instead of legs, she has a scaly tail. Thick fair hair is gathered up in a high bundle on the head. She hugged her knees with her right hand. The gaze is directed downwards. In the lower right corner there is the painter's signature: “J. Malczewski/1907”.
Inscriptions
At the bottom right there is an author's inscription "J. Malczewski/1907".

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