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Portrait of Children

Olga Boznanska

Basic information

ID: Ж-2675
Author: Olga Boznanska
Name: Portrait of Children
Date of creation: 1907
Country: Poland
Technique: oil painting
Material: cardboard oil
Dimensions: 95 x 70 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: portraiture
Provenance: Collection of Lviv City Gallery

Information about author

Author: Olga Boznanska
Author in the original: Olga Boznańska
Artist's lifetime: 1865–1940
Country: Poland
Biography: Olga Boznanska was a Polish artist, portraitist, and an important figure in modernist painting; she developed her own style based on the principles of Realism and Impressionism, as well as under the influences of Velázquez, Whistler, and Manet. She was a member of various art associations. In 1898, she moved to Paris; she was a member of the Munich School, the Society of Polish Artists "Sztuka" (1898), and Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (National Society of Fine Arts) (1901). She was born in Krakow. The family, in which the future artist grew up, was quite modest. However, from an early age, Olga gained artistic skills with Antoni Piotrowski and Kazimierz Teofil Pochwalski. From 1886 to 1889, she studied art in private schools of such artists as Karl Kricheldorf and Wilhelm Dürr, given that in those years women were not permitted to gain knowledge at higher educational establishments. After completing her studies, Olga began to demonstrate her works to the general public, organizing exhibitions in big cities such as Munich, Vienna, and Warsaw; she received several awards in London, Munich, and Paris. At the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1901, an exhibition of the works by Olga Boznanska was organized in Pittsburgh. Eleven years later, Olga Boznanska together with such outstanding artists as Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir, organized a new exhibition in the same city, representing France with her works. In 1939, she received the Grand Prix award at the World Expo in Paris. A year later, she took part in the Venice Biennale. The artist's life ended in 1940 during her stay in Paris. Olga Boznanska's works are stored in Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery, as well as in Polish museums, namely in the National Museum in Warsaw, the National Museum in Krakow, and the National Museum in Kielce.

Object description

Boleslaw Buyko, a Polish artist from Vienna, was a colleague and acquaintance of Olga Boznanska. Boleslaw's stepchildren are depicted in the work "Portrait of Children"; they appear to us tired and confused, but at the same time loving and devoted children. With tenderness and care, the girl hugs her younger brother, who grabbed her hand and clung to her with trust and protection. Their eyes express sadness and thoughtfulness, the state characteristic of the portraits by Olga Boznanska. The artist emphasized the unbreakable bond and closeness between a brother and a sister, as well as their relationship. Despite the cold range of colors, she managed to depict warm family relationships, as well as penetrate into their childhood world.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Portrait of Children

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