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Self-Portrait with a Skull

Odo Dobrowolski

  • Self-Portrait with a Skull
Basic information
ID
Г-I-608
Author
Odo Dobrowolski
Name
Self-Portrait with a Skull
Date of creation
1908
Technique
drawing
Material
paper on cardboard watercolour
Dimensions
39.5 x 27.5 cm (height x width)
Additionally
Type
graphic art
Genre
portraiture
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
A similar self-portrait, in which the artist is depicted wearing a shirt rather than a sweater, dated 14 June 1908, was exhibited at the Desa auction (Poland) in 2006. It is likely that this work, like the Lviv portrait, was executed during the artist’s first visit to Paris. In the portrait, the artist (aged 26) poses with his left hand holding a brush resting on a skull, supported by his right hand. The skull and the broad cap on his head are the primary attributes of the sitter. The artist pays particular attention to the rendering of the hands and face: the fingers are long and slender, the expression confident and somewhat fastidious. The effect is achieved through a masterful execution of flesh tones in watercolour.
Inscriptions
In the lower left part of the work, there is an inscription “Autoportret” written in italics in red colour. In the lower right part there is the author’s signature and date written in italics: “Odo Dobrowolski 08”.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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