Szymon Czechowicz
Encyclopedia
Szymon Czechowicz was a prominent Polish
painter of the Baroque
, considered one of the most accomplished painters of 18th century sacral painting
in Poland. He specialized in sublime effigies of painted figures. His establishment of a school of painting gives him a great influence on Polish art.
, where was admitted to Accademia di San Luca
. His tutor was Benedetto Luti
. During his apprenticeship in Rome he practiced copying works of famous artists, such as Raphael
(designs of tapestries
), Guido Reni
(Crucifixion, today in the St. Stanisław's Church in Rome; Massacre of the Innocents, Lviv Gallery of Art), Peter Paul Rubens (Christ among the Pharisees), Federico Barocci
(Deposition, Lviv Gallery of Art). In 1716 he was awarded by the Accademia for two of his drawings, Samson vanquishing the lion and Victorious return from the expedition. While still in Rome he painted some altar paintings for churches in Poland – Vision of St. Anthony, The Descent from the Cross, Protection of the Mother of God over Kraków for the Piarists Church in Kraków
(1729) and Assumption of the Virgin Mary for the Cathedral in Kielce
(1730).
In 1731 he went back to Poland, where in Warsaw he competed with Johann Samuel Mock to get the position of court painter of Augustus II the Strong
. Shortly afterward he became a renowned portrait
and religious painter
. Among his clients were Polish and Lithuania
n magnates and powerful clergymen – Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński, Grand Treasurer of the Crown
(between 1731–34 he painted his portrait, today in the Armoury of the Castle in Liw
), Jan Aleksander Lipski, Bishop of Kraków, Jan Fryderyk Sapieha
, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania (in about 1740 he painted his portrait, today in the Lithuanian Art Museum
in Vilnius
, and at his initiative some religious paintings for St. Anne's Church
and SS. Peter and Paul's Church in Kraków in 1741), Jan Tarło, voivode of Sandomierz
(after 1743 paintings intended for parish church in Opole Lubelskie
), Sułkowski family (paintings for the City Church in Leszno
), Jan Klemens Branicki
, Grand Crown Hetman (in 1750 he made 7 paintings for the parish church
in Tykocin
, and in 1760 two more for parish church in Tyczyn
), Wacław Rzewuski, Grand Crown Hetman (between 1762–67 paintings for the castle chapel in Pidhirtsi
). In his portraits he was influenced by the Sarmatian portrait, though he put emphasis on the psychology of his subject. He worked in Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań
, Pidhirtsi, Polotsk and Vilnius. From about 1750, he used delicate colours closely related with rococo
. Czechowicz established his own school of painting, where he taught free of charge. Some of his paintings were probably accomplished by his pupils – Franciszek Smuglewicz
, Tadeusz Konicz, Jan Ścisło, Jan Bogumił Plersch and Antoni Albertrandi. In his religious paintings he followed the patterns of the mature Roman Baroque, especially Carlo Maratta
, Benedetto Luti and Sebastiano Conca
, while his portraits were inspired by Saxon school of portrait. Czechowicz died in 1775 in Warsaw and was buried in the Capucine Church.
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...
painter of the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, considered one of the most accomplished painters of 18th century sacral painting
Christian art
Christian art is sacred art produced in an attempt to illustrate, supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity, though other definitions are possible. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, although some have had strong objections to some forms of...
in Poland. He specialized in sublime effigies of painted figures. His establishment of a school of painting gives him a great influence on Polish art.
Life and professional career
Initially trained by the court painter of Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński, in 1711 he went to RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where was admitted to Accademia di San Luca
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca, was founded in 1577 as an association of artists in Rome, under the directorship of Federico Zuccari, with the purpose of elevating the work of "artists", which included painters, sculptors and architects, above that of mere craftsmen. Other founders included Girolamo...
. His tutor was Benedetto Luti
Benedetto Luti
Benedetto Luti was an Italian painter.-Biography:Luti was born in Florence. He moved to Rome in 1691 where he was patronized by Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, an enthusiast for the pastel portrait. Luti was one of the first artists to work in pastels as the final composition as...
. During his apprenticeship in Rome he practiced copying works of famous artists, such as Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
(designs of tapestries
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
), Guido Reni
Guido Reni
Guido Reni was an Italian painter of high-Baroque style.-Biography:Born in Bologna into a family of musicians, Guido Reni was the son of Daniele Reni and Ginevra de’ Pozzi. As a child of nine, he was apprenticed under the Bolognese studio of Denis Calvaert. Soon after, he was joined in that...
(Crucifixion, today in the St. Stanisław's Church in Rome; Massacre of the Innocents, Lviv Gallery of Art), Peter Paul Rubens (Christ among the Pharisees), Federico Barocci
Federico Barocci
Federico Barocci was an Italian Renaissance painter and printmaker. His original name was Federico Fiori, and he was nicknamed Il Baroccio, which still in northwestern Italian dialects means a two wheel cart drawn by oxen...
(Deposition, Lviv Gallery of Art). In 1716 he was awarded by the Accademia for two of his drawings, Samson vanquishing the lion and Victorious return from the expedition. While still in Rome he painted some altar paintings for churches in Poland – Vision of St. Anthony, The Descent from the Cross, Protection of the Mother of God over Kraków for the Piarists Church in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
(1729) and Assumption of the Virgin Mary for the Cathedral in Kielce
Kielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
(1730).
Augustus II the Strong
Frederick Augustus I or Augustus II the Strong was Elector of Saxony and King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania ....
. Shortly afterward he became a renowned portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
and religious painter
Christian art
Christian art is sacred art produced in an attempt to illustrate, supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity, though other definitions are possible. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, although some have had strong objections to some forms of...
. Among his clients were Polish and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n magnates and powerful clergymen – Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński, Grand Treasurer of the Crown
Podskarbi
Podskarbi in Poland then in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was minister responsible for the treasury. Since 1569 also a senatorial office. The title although meaning treasurer can be deconstructed as "under[King]-treasury" - treasury as an old-fashioned adjective...
(between 1731–34 he painted his portrait, today in the Armoury of the Castle in Liw
Liw
Liw is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Liw, within Węgrów County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies on the river Liwiec , approximately west of Węgrów and east of Warsaw....
), Jan Aleksander Lipski, Bishop of Kraków, Jan Fryderyk Sapieha
Jan Fryderyk Sapieha
Jan Fryderyk Sapieha was a Grand Recorder of Lithuania between 1706 and 1709, since 1716 – the castellan of Trakai and after 1735 – the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania....
, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania (in about 1740 he painted his portrait, today in the Lithuanian Art Museum
Lithuanian Art Museum
The Lithuanian Art Museum was initially established in Vilnius in 1933 as the Vilnius City Museum. It houses Lithuania's largest art collection.-History:...
in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, and at his initiative some religious paintings for St. Anne's Church
Church of St. Anne, Kraków
The Church of St. Anne located at ulica św. Anny 11 street in the historic centre of Kraków, Poland, is one of the leading examples of Polish Baroque architecture. The church's history dates back to 14th century.- History :...
and SS. Peter and Paul's Church in Kraków in 1741), Jan Tarło, voivode of Sandomierz
Sandomierz Voivodeship
Sandomierz Voivodeship was a unit of administration and local government in Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. It was part of the Little Poland region. Originally Sandomierz Voivodeship also covered the area around Lublin, but in 1474 its three eastern counties...
(after 1743 paintings intended for parish church in Opole Lubelskie
Opole Lubelskie
Opole Lubelskie is a town in eastern Poland. It has 8,879 inhabitants . The town is situated in the Lublin Voivodeship, some 10 kilometers east of the Vistula river. It is the capital of the Opole Lubelskie County. It was founded in the 14th century....
), Sułkowski family (paintings for the City Church in Leszno
Leszno
Leszno is a town in central Poland with 63,955 inhabitants . Situated in the southern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999, it was previously the capital of the Leszno Voivodeship . The town has county status.-History:...
), Jan Klemens Branicki
Jan Klemens Branicki
Count Jan Klemens Branicki was a Polish nobleman, magnate and Hetman, Field Crown Hetman of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth between 1735 and 1752, and Great Crown Hetman between 1752 and 1771....
, Grand Crown Hetman (in 1750 he made 7 paintings for the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in Tykocin
Tykocin
Tykocin is an old, smaller size town in north-eastern Poland, with 1,800 inhabitants , located on the Narew river. Tykocin has been situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it belonged to Białystok Voivodeship...
, and in 1760 two more for parish church in Tyczyn
Tyczyn
Tyczyn is a town in southern Poland with a population of 3,353 inhabitants . It is located in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship , in the Rzeszów County .- History :...
), Wacław Rzewuski, Grand Crown Hetman (between 1762–67 paintings for the castle chapel in Pidhirtsi
Pidhirtsi
Pidhirtsi is a village of about 1000 inhabitants in the Lviv Oblast of Ukraine, located about 80 km east of Lviv, 17 km south of Brody, 60 km north west of Ternopil, at around...
). In his portraits he was influenced by the Sarmatian portrait, though he put emphasis on the psychology of his subject. He worked in Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Pidhirtsi, Polotsk and Vilnius. From about 1750, he used delicate colours closely related with rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
. Czechowicz established his own school of painting, where he taught free of charge. Some of his paintings were probably accomplished by his pupils – Franciszek Smuglewicz
Franciszek Smuglewicz
Franciszek Smuglewicz or Pranciškus Smuglevičius, October 6, 1745 – September 18, 1807) was a Polish-Lithuanian draughtsman and painter. Smuglewicz is considered a progenitor of Lithuanian art in the modern era. Some consider him as a spiritual father of Jan Matejko's school of painting....
, Tadeusz Konicz, Jan Ścisło, Jan Bogumił Plersch and Antoni Albertrandi. In his religious paintings he followed the patterns of the mature Roman Baroque, especially Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta or Maratti was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition stemming from Raphael, he was not exempt from the influence of Baroque painting...
, Benedetto Luti and Sebastiano Conca
Sebastiano Conca
Sebastiano Conca was an Italian painter.He was born at Gaeta, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, and apprenticed in Naples under Francesco Solimena. In 1706, along with his brother Giovanni, who acted as his assistant, he settled at Rome, where for several years he worked in chalk only, to...
, while his portraits were inspired by Saxon school of portrait. Czechowicz died in 1775 in Warsaw and was buried in the Capucine Church.