Franciszek Smuglewicz

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Franciszek Smuglewicz by Józef Peszka, his student.

Franciszek Smuglewicz (Lithuanian: Pranciškus Smuglevičius;[1][2] 6 October 1745 – 18 September 1807) was a Polish-Lithuanian draughtsman and painter. Smuglewicz is considered a progenitor of Lithuanian art in the modern era.[1] He was precursor of historicism in Polish painting. He was also a founder of Vilnius school of art, his most prominent students were Jan Rustem, Jan Krzysztof Damel, Gaspar Borowski and Józef Oleszkiewicz.[3] His father Łukasz Smuglewicz and brother Antoni were also painters.

Biography

Franciszek Smuglewicz was born in Warsaw as son of Łukasz Smuglewicz, who was also a painter,[4] and Regina Olesińska. His mother, Regina Olesińska, was the niece of painter Szymon Czechowicz.[5][4] He made his first steps as a painter in his father and Czechowicz joint workshop in Warsaw. In 1763 Franciszek journeyed to Rome, where he began the study of fine arts under the tutorship of Anton von Maron. He stayed in Rome for 21 years, where he embraced the Neo-Classical style.

In 1765 he received a royal scholarship from the King of Poland

Academy of Fine Arts
.

A

Polish baroque,[citation needed] Smuglewicz became a notable representative of historical paintings, a genre that dominated the fine arts of Poland throughout the 19th century. Around 1790 he started working on a series of sketches and lithographies inspired by Adam Naruszewicz
's History of the Polish Nation. Although never finished, this series gained him much popularity.

In 1797 he moved to

Academy of Vilnius
.

In 1801 he painted allegorical ceiling paintings for

St Petersburg, which was also designed by Brenna.[6]

A tutor of generations of Polish-Lithuanian painters, Smuglewicz devoted himself to historical paintings in the latter years of his life. He brought to Lithuania classical ideas and views of enlightened classicism. He painted everyday life, and the architecture of Vilnius in a realistic manner. His works helped with the ongoing reconstruction of the

Royal Palace of Lithuania
in Vilnius.

Among the notable surviving works of that period are A Meeting of the

Four Years' Sejm (1793) and Kościuszko's Oath at Kraków's Old Town Market (1797), Lithuanian Peasants, Freeing Peasants from Serfdom in Merkinė.[2]
Among his works of the period are views of the city walls and city gates that were demolished during the 19th century.

He was buried in Vilnius at Rasos Cemetery (Polish: Cmentarz na Rossie), although the exact location is not known.

  • Scythians meeting with Darius, 1785
    Scythians meeting with
    Darius
    , 1785
  • Portrait of the Prozor Family, 1789, National Museum in Warsaw
    Portrait of the Prozor Family, 1789, National Museum in Warsaw
  • "Tadeusz Kościuszko taking the oath", 1797
    "
    Tadeusz Kościuszko
    taking the oath", 1797

References

  1. ^ .
  2. ^ .
  3. ^ Ryszkiewicz, Andrzej (1999–2000). "Franciszek Smuglewicz". Polski Słownik Biograficzny (in Polish). Vol. 39. Warszawa-Kraków: Polska Akademia Nauk. pp. 374–378.
  4. ^ a b Edward Rastawiecki. Słownik malarzów polskich, tudzież obcych w Polsce osiadłych lub czasowo w niéj przebywających. Vol. 2. 1851. p. 171
  5. ^ Mariusz Karpowicz. "Krakowskie obrazy Szymona Czechowicza". Rocznik Krakowski. Vol. 56 (1990). p. 131
  6. ^ August von Kotzebue, The Most Remarkable Year in the Life of Augustus von Kotzebue, London,(1802). Vol III, pp. 60, 68 and 80.

Bibliography

Ryszkiewicz, Andrzej (1999–2000). "Franciszek Smuglewicz". Polski Słownik Biograficzny (in Polish). Vol. 39. Warszawa-Kraków: Polska Akademia Nauk. pp. 374–378.