Jan Styka was a famous Polish painter and creator of book illustrations. He received his artistic education in many cities: at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, later in Rome, Paris and Krakow. He was one of the students of Jan Matejko. He became famous as the author of several panoramas, including "Racławice" (1893-94) painted together with Wojciech Kossak (and others) and "Golgotha" (1896) painted together with Jan Stanisławski and Tadeusz Popiel. (1896). Apart from these, he also created portraits, genre and religious scenes, and large historical compositions. He participated in many exhibitions and the Paris Salons and the World Exhibition in St. Louis in 1904.