Jan Sobczynski
Encyclopedia
Jan Sobczynski – Polish painter, born to Polish immigrants on 14 June 1918 in New York
, USA, died 27 May 2007, Warsaw
, Poland
.
After his mother's death, Sobczynski left the United States and was raised by his aunt in Poland. In 1939, after the invasion of Poland by the Russian army
, he was arrested in Lwów and sent to a labor camp
in Siberia
.
In 1941, like many Poles in Siberia, he survived when Stalin’s policies changed following the German invasion. Like many exiled Poles, he joined the Second Polish Army formed in the Soviet Union. His war record includes 394 combat missions in light bombers on the Eastern Front
. For these actions he was decorated with the Polonia Restituta
and the Cross of Valour.
His war sketches were lost. After the war, he settled in the ruins of Warsaw and witnessed the rebirth of the city – his first oil paintings emerged at this time. He studied in the school of Prof. Bolesław Kuzminsky and then under the supervision of Prof. Michał Bylina and Prof. Ludwik Maciag.
Jan Sobczynski’s painting technique is oil on canvas with a vivid selection of colors and rich textures. His art shows the beauty of small Polish towns in Silesia
, landscapes, still lifes and battle scenes. Jan's triptych depicting the he Battle of the Bzura River (one of the heroic stands of the Polish cavalry against German tanks during Second World War) received recognition and award during the exhibition in ‘Zacheta Galery’ - 1985. His paintings are in historical collections owned by the Polish Ministry of National Defense. He visited the United States of America several times. During his visits there he painted Kansas City
’s Country Club Plaza and several landscapes in Colorado
.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA, died 27 May 2007, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
After his mother's death, Sobczynski left the United States and was raised by his aunt in Poland. In 1939, after the invasion of Poland by the Russian army
Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)
The 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland was a Soviet military operation that started without a formal declaration of war on 17 September 1939, during the early stages of World War II. Sixteen days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west, the Soviet Union did so from the east...
, he was arrested in Lwów and sent to a labor camp
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
In 1941, like many Poles in Siberia, he survived when Stalin’s policies changed following the German invasion. Like many exiled Poles, he joined the Second Polish Army formed in the Soviet Union. His war record includes 394 combat missions in light bombers on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front
Eastern Front may refer to one of the following:* Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * 1635: The Eastern Front...
. For these actions he was decorated with the Polonia Restituta
Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta is one of Poland's highest Orders. The Order can be conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, art, economics, defense of the country, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries...
and the Cross of Valour.
His war sketches were lost. After the war, he settled in the ruins of Warsaw and witnessed the rebirth of the city – his first oil paintings emerged at this time. He studied in the school of Prof. Bolesław Kuzminsky and then under the supervision of Prof. Michał Bylina and Prof. Ludwik Maciag.
Jan Sobczynski’s painting technique is oil on canvas with a vivid selection of colors and rich textures. His art shows the beauty of small Polish towns in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, landscapes, still lifes and battle scenes. Jan's triptych depicting the he Battle of the Bzura River (one of the heroic stands of the Polish cavalry against German tanks during Second World War) received recognition and award during the exhibition in ‘Zacheta Galery’ - 1985. His paintings are in historical collections owned by the Polish Ministry of National Defense. He visited the United States of America several times. During his visits there he painted Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
’s Country Club Plaza and several landscapes in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.