Alicja Halicka was one of the leading figures of the Parisian École de Paris and an outstanding Polish painter and illustrator. She was born in Krakow, where she began her artistic education at the School of Fine Arts for Women, studying under renowned Polish artists such as Józef Pankiewicz, Leon Wyczółkowski, and Wojciech Weiss. In 1912, she continued her studies in Munich and later in Paris at the Académie Ranson, where she studied under Maurice Denis and Paul Sérusier.
In 1913, she married painter Louis Marcoussis and settled permanently in Paris, where she connected with prominent figures in the art world, including Guillaume Apollinaire, Georges Braque, and André Breton. At that time, her work was heavily influenced by Cubism, evident in the geometric forms of her portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. During World War I, she stayed in Normandy, where she designed textiles and wallpapers. In the 1930s, she collaborated with prestigious fashion magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, creating illustrations and designs.
Halicka regularly exhibited her works in galleries in Paris, London, New York, and Warsaw, participating in prestigious Salons. Her body of work encompassed not only painting but also collages, bas-reliefs, and set and costume designs for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. In her later years, her work became more decorative and lyrical, drawing inspiration from artists like Raoul Dufy. After World War II, she continued painting Parisian landscapes and traveled to India and Poland, finding new themes for her art.
Alicja Halicka passed away in 1975, leaving behind a rich artistic legacy that continues to inspire and captivate art lovers around the world.
