Edward Okuń (1872 Wólka Zegrzeńska near Warsaw - 1945 Skierniewice), "Villa Torquato Tasso," series from Capri, 1938

Provenance
private collection, Warsaw

Exhibited
Group exhibition of works by Edward Okun, Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts, Warsaw, January-February 1939

Literature
Małgorzata Biernacka, Literature - symbol - nature. The work of Edward Okun against Young Poland and European symbolism, Warsaw 2004, p. 317, item II/521 (lost paintings)
Guide 138. group exhibition of works by Edward Okun, Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Warsaw 1939, p. 8, cat. no. 80

Biography
He began his artistic education in 1890-91 at Wojciech Gerson's Drawing Class in Warsaw. From 1891 to 1893 he studied at the School of Fine Arts in Cracow in the studios of I. Jabłoński, W. Łuszczkiewicz, F. Cynk and J. Unierzyski. In 1893, he continued his studies in Munich, at the private schools of Stanislav Grocholski and Anton Ažbé. In 1894 he went to Paris, where he studied at the Académie Julian in the studios of B. Constant, R. Collin and J. - P. Laurens. In 1897, he returned to Munich to hone his painting skills at S. Hollósy's school. In 1898 he settled in Italy, which became his artistic homeland for more than twenty years; he lived in Rome from where he traveled to Anticoli Corrado, Sorrento, Amalfi and Capri, visited Venice, Padua, Ravenna, Florence and Siena. In 1901-1907 he collaborated as an illustrator with the Warsaw art and literary magazine "Chimera"; from 1906 he decorated the pages of the Munich magazine "Jugend" with his drawings. From 1908 he belonged to the "Splinter" grouping. In 1921 he settled again in Warsaw, from where he traveled to Italy and southern Europe. From 1930 he taught at the W. Gerson School of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Okun's favorite subjects of painting were landscapes - especially from Italy, portraits and fantasy and allegorical compositions.