Olga Boznańska
Olga Boznańska (1865–1940) was one of the greatest female Polish artists of the early 20th century.
The National Museum in Krakow
Compiled by Agata Jabłońska, based on the materials of the National Museum in Krakow
From the walk - Lady in a white dress (1889) by Olga BoznańskaThe National Museum in Krakow
Portraits and self-portraits
She is remembered as an outstanding creative force.
Boznańska's work was so highly regarded that she was offered professorships at the Academies of Fine Arts in Kraków and Warsaw. She was a member of the Sztuka Society of Polish Artists and of the French Société Nationale des Beaux Arts.
After moving to Paris, she taught painting at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Montparnasse.
Although she never started a family, memoirs associated with her life often mention her great love for animals such as dogs but also ... the mice which lived in her Parisian studio.
Flower Girls (1889) by Olga BoznańskaThe National Museum in Krakow
Began painting in childhood
As a young woman she was privately tutored as well as studying at art schools in Kraków and attending courses at Adrian Baraniecki’s school for women and subsequently in Munich.
In the 1890s, Olga Boznańska began exhibiting her work and was awarded medals and honours in Paris, Munich, Warsaw, Berlin, Vienna, and London.
Portrait of Paul Nauen (1893) by Olga BoznańskaThe National Museum in Krakow
Portrait of the painter Paul Nauen
The painting won a gold medal at an exhibition in Vienna and was the first work by the artist acquired by the National Museum in Krakow.
First and foremost, she was a portraitist, the author of images of individuals portrayed in muted tones, sometimes nearly monochromatic, which art critics of her time described as “noble, exquisite and refined.”
Olga Boznańska - portrait photo (1920/1930) by NNThe National Museum in Krakow
In Kraków you can see more than 120 works by the artist, mainly oil paintings but also drawings, sketches, and personal mementos such as photos, books, letters, and painting tools, most of which were acquired by the Museum at the bequest of Boznańska herself.
The Kraków studio of Olga Boznańska at Wolska Street (Józefa Piłsudskiego Street)
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The Kraków studio of Olga Boznańska at Wolska Street (Józefa Piłsudskiego Street)
Girl with Chrysanthemums (1894) by Olga BoznańskaThe National Museum in Krakow
Girl with Chrysanthemums
Painted in 1894, it represents a style of child portraiture which is characteristic for Boznańska.
Highlighting the feeling of being alone, seriousness, and large, incredible eyes; these are the elements which build tension in the painting. The pensive mood, the mystery, the sense of something left unsaid are all reminiscent of the mood of the dramatic works and poetry of Maurice Maeterlinck, whose work the artist admired.
More about the Girl.
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