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Self-Portrait with a Squinted Eye

Odo Dobrowolski

Basic information

ID: Г-V-55
Author: Odo Dobrowolski
Name: Self-Portrait with a Squinted Eye
Date of creation: 1907
Technique: drawing
Material: paper chalk
Dimensions: 38.5 x 42 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: landscape

Information about author

Author: Odo Dobrowolski
Author in the original: Odo (Otton) Dobrowolski
Artist's lifetime: 1883–1917
Country: Austro-Hungarian Empire
Biography: Odo (Otton) Dobrowolski (1883, Chernivtsi – 1917, Kyiv) was a Lviv artist of Polish–German origin, primarily known as a master of graphic art and lithography, as well as an exceptional watercolourist and pastellist.
He was born into the family of Józef Dobrowolski, an official at the Austrian governorship of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, and Eugenia Wittich. The artist was likely named after Otto the Great, the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. After graduating from a gymnasium in Lviv, in the mid-1900s he studied in Kraków as a non-degree student at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Between 1908 and 1909, thanks to the support of the painter Jan Styka, Dobrowolski lived in Paris, followed by a brief stay in Munich. Upon returning to Lviv, between 1909 and 1910, the artist executed an oil decorative panel for the confectionery of Gabriela Zapolska – a famous playwright, actress, and one of the most prominent figures of the local bohemian elite. In 1911–1912, he worked in Paris once again. Following his return to Lviv, during the Russian occupation of the city during the First World War, he created a highly popular series of ten lithographs.
In June 1915, alongside the retreating Russian forces, the artist departed for Kyiv, where in 1917 the 34-year-old master died under unresolved circumstances.
The creative heritage of Odo Dobrowolski encompasses numerous cityscapes featuring views of Lviv and Paris, alongside portraits, interior sketches, and nature studies. His works are held in Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery, the National Museum in Kraków, the National Library and the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, as well as in private collections.

Object description

This is the most characteristic self-portrait of the artist at the age of 24, in which he presents himself as a member of the bohemian circle with a confident and contemptuous gaze, clearly concealing the artist’s deep inner world. It is a shoulder-length portrait with the head turned half to the left, the gaze directed at the viewer. A cigarette is held between his full lips; he wears a beret, and one eye is squinted. The collar of his jumper completely covers his neck. In contrast to the later staged self-portraits featuring a skull, this work emphasises the authentic features of the depicted figure.

Inscriptions

On the left, there is a diagonally written author's signature and the date "Odo Dobrowolski 07" in Indian ink. In the lower right corner, there is the author's signature "Оdo Dobrowolski 07" written in pencil.

Portrayed person