Coronation cope (1907)

Leon Wyczółkowski prints bring the fields, seas, mountains and people of Poland into your home in vivid Impressionist colour. Wyczółkowski was one of the leading painters of the Young Poland movement, a gifted portraitist and a master of flowers and still life. Our collection of fine art prints covers his peasant and harvest scenes, Baltic and Tatra landscapes, portraits of Kraków's art world, Japanese-inspired pictures and flower studies.

About Leon Wyczółkowski

Leon Jan Wyczółkowski was born on 11 April 1852 near Garwolin, in the Kingdom of Poland. He first set out to be a history painter, with a careful, documentary realism. A trip to Paris changed his direction, and he began to use the bright colour and lighting effects of the French Impressionists.

He became one of the central figures of the Young Poland movement in Kraków. From 1895 to 1911 he was a professor at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1897 he was a founding member of the Society of Polish Artists "Sztuka". His friendship with the collector Feliks Jasieński, known as Manggha, drew him to Japanese art and oriental subjects. He portrayed almost the whole art world of Kraków.

In 1934 he became a professor at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. He died in Warsaw on 27 December 1936. In 1946 the District Museum in Bydgoszcz was named after him; his widow gave it many of his works, and it now holds over 700 of them.

Style and Subjects

Wyczółkowski's mature work is Impressionist, with thick paint, bright colour and strong effects of light, as in his scenes of fishermen and farm workers. For a time he turned to Symbolism, painting mysterious subjects such as Petrified Druid, and around 1900 his palette darkened.

He was a master of flowers and still life, a fine portraitist, and a painter of the Tatra mountains and the Baltic coast. His technique is rich and varied, from oil to pastel and printmaking.

Famous Works

• Fisherman with a Net (1891), National Museum in Kraków. A fisherman hauling his net in bright, Impressionist light.
• Petrified Druid (1892), National Museum in Kraków. A mysterious Symbolist rock formation like an ancient priest.
• A Game of Croquet (1892), National Museum in Warsaw. Figures playing croquet on a sunny lawn.
• Plowing in the Ukraine (1892), National Museum in Kraków. Oxen and ploughmen under a wide sky.
• Beet-Lifting (1893), National Museum in Kraków. Farm workers harvesting beets, one of his famous peasant scenes.
• Portrait of Jan Kasprowicz (1898), National Museum in Kraków. The Young Poland poet.
• Portrait of Stanisław Witkiewicz with Wojciech Roj (1902), National Museum in Kraków. The artist and writer with a Zakopane highlander.
• Wawel Treasury (1907), National Museum in Warsaw. A rich interior of Kraków's royal castle.

Decorating with Wyczółkowski Prints

Wyczółkowski's harvest and fishing scenes, like Beet-Lifting or Fisherman with a Net, bring warm, earthy colour to a living room, study or country-style kitchen. His Tatra and Baltic landscapes, such as Czarny Staw (Black Lake), suit a hallway or cabin-style room.

His flower pieces, like Poppies in a Vase, brighten a dining room or bedroom, and his portraits make a distinguished group for a library.

FAQ

Who was Leon Wyczółkowski?

Leon Wyczółkowski (1852–1936) was a Polish painter and teacher, one of the leading artists of the Young Poland movement and a professor at the Kraków and Warsaw academies.

What art movement was Wyczółkowski part of?

He belonged to Young Poland and painted in an Impressionist style, with a period of Symbolism. He also became the principal representative of Polish Realism between the wars.

Was Wyczółkowski influenced by Japanese art?

Yes. His friendship with the collector Feliks "Manggha" Jasieński led him to Japanese art and oriental themes, as seen in works like Japanese Woman.

Where can I see Wyczółkowski's paintings?

The Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum in Bydgoszcz holds over 700 works. His key Impressionist paintings are in the National Museums in Kraków and Warsaw.

Related Artists

• Jacek Malczewski: fellow leading painter of Young Poland
• Józef Mehoffer: fellow Young Poland artist and Sztuka member
• Stanisław Wyspiański: Young Poland painter and writer of Kraków
• Julian Fałat: Polish painter of the same generation
• Olga Boznańska: leading Polish painter of the same era