2024-04-25
Bronisław Abramowicz, a pupil of Jan Matejko, depicted scenes from the history of Poland with great sensitivity. From 15 to 18 December, a great painting by this talented artist will be seen at the Old Art Auction.
Bronisław Abramowicz was a Polish artist, art conservator and January insurgent. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw, as well as at the academies of fine arts in Munich and Vienna. He completed his studies at the School of Fine Arts in Kraków under the supervision of Jan Matejko. Furthermore, he created historical paintings, genre paintings, hunting scenes and portraits, including of the Bavarian King Ludwig III. As a restorer, he contributed to the improvement and preservation of many important monuments in Kraków. He worked on the paintings of the Czartoryski Museum, the stalls in St. Mary's Church and the wings of the triptych in the altar in St. Idzi's Church. Under the supervision of Jagiellonian University professor Marian Sokolowski, he restored two paintings by Hans Kulmbach located in St Florian's Church, depicting scenes from the life of St John the Evangelist.
The painting entitled "Prince Ostrovsky in a Moscow Prison" was painted in 1877. The protagonist of the depiction is Prince Konstantin Ostrogski (1460-1530), Grand Hetman of Lithuania and later Castellan of Vilnius. This prince was given the title of Hetman thanks to his bravery at the Battle of Oczakowo, where he defeated the Tartars led by Khan Mehmed I Girej. The painting of 1877 shows the Hetman in Moscow captivity, where he was taken after losing the Battle of Wiedrosza. This battle was part of the Lithuanian-Moscow war fought between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
The painting in question is a great example of a historical image wrapped in the framework of academic painting. Abramovich, as a gifted pupil of Jan Matejko, furthermore demonstrates a flair for depicting historical realities and detail just like his master.
