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Bust of Florian Ziemialkowski

Stanislaw Roman Lewandowski

Basic information

ID: С-I-393
Author: Stanislaw Roman Lewandowski
Name: Bust of Florian Ziemialkowski
Date of creation: 1922
Country: Poland
Culture: Contemporary times
Technique: moulding
Material: plaster vernix
Dimensions (height x width x depth, cm): 55 x 43 x 28

Additionally

Type: sculpture 3D
Genre: portraiture
Plot: Portrait bust
Provenance: National Gallery of Lviv (until 1940)

Information about author

Author: Stanislaw Roman Lewandowski
Artist's lifetime: 1859–1940
Country: Austrian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Poland
Biography: Stanislaw Roman Lewandowski (28 February 1859 – 3 February 1940, Warsaw) was a Polish sculptor, medallist, art critic, and playwright. He graduated from high school in Krakow. From 1875 to 1878, he worked as an actor in the Galicia theatres. Later, he studied at the medical faculty of Lviv University. From 1879 to 1882, he studied at the Krakow School of Fine Arts under W. Gadomski. From 1883 to 1887, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under E. Hellmer and C. Kundmann. In 1890–1894, he lived and worked in Lviv, where he taught in the artistic circle of M. Harasimowicz and published the magazine "Nasza Sztuka" [Our Art]. From 1894 to 1932, he lived in Vienna and from 1932 to 1940 in Warsaw, where he became the chief curator of the State Art Collections in the Royal Castle. In 1924, he became the Polish Mint's chief medallist; in 1925, he returned to Vienna. At the beginning of his career, he worked in the "academic realism" style. After 1900, his work was influenced by Modernism and Symbolism. In the 1930s, he returned to a more classical style. The artist is the author of compositions of medals, plaquettes, coins, decorative and applied objects in precious metals. He is known as an art historian, critic, and author of articles in many Polish magazines. In 1904 and 1911, S.R. Lewandowski published a monograph on the life and work of G. Siemiradzki. He was the author of several plays performed in Warsaw theatres in 1903 and 1911.

Object description

"The Bust of Florian Ziemialkowski" (1922) – a lawyer, participant in the January Uprising of 1863–1864, ambassador of the Galician Sejm in Lviv (1867–1869), the first president of the city after Galicia gained autonomy (1871–1873), member of the State Council in Vienna, Minister for Galicia in the Austrian government (1873–1888) – shows S.R. Lewandowski's return to "academic realism" in his mature work of the 1920s. The artist's realistic intentions can be seen in the reflection of the momentary essence and the exact reproduction of the individual features of the portrait. F. Ziemialkowski's will to act, determination and sharp mind are reflected in the high, clear forehead, the tight lips, the expressively modelled cheekbones and forehead, and the focused, penetrating gaze. The sitter's upright posture and proudly raised head emphasise his self-confidence. The noble formal dress indicates respectable social status. The glorification and commemorative nature of the posthumous portrait is highlighted by the laurel branch on the pedestal, symbolising eternity, triumph, and victory.

Inscriptions

Signed on the left on the base: "FECIT / LEWANDOWSKI"; on the right on the base: "FLORIAN / ZIEMIAŁKOWSKI"; on the back left is signature and date: "LEWANDOWSKI / 1922".

Portrayed person