Oil/board, 17.5 x 20 cm Signed l.d.: 'Tad. Pruszkowski'
Provenance: gift of the artist to one of his students.
Tadeusz Pruszkowski (1888-1942) - Polish painter, educator, art critic and social activist, one of the most important figures in the artistic life of the Second Polish Republic. He was born on April 15, 1888 in Borucice (Lodz province). He studied painting at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw, and then continued his artistic education in Paris. He was a student and collaborator of Konrad Krzyzanowski.
During World War I he served in the Polish Legions. After the war, he became involved in the artistic life of independent Poland. From 1922 he was a professor at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts (later transformed into the Academy of Fine Arts), and served as its rector in 1930-1931 and 1936-1939. He gained a reputation as an excellent teacher - his students included Antoni Michalak, Felicjan Szczęsny Kowarski, Jan Gotard.
As a painter, he became famous primarily for his portraits - he created realistic, often monumental depictions of figures, combining academic tradition with elements of modernism. He was also an art critic and organizer of many exhibitions and art events. He co-founded the artistic group Brotherhood of St. Luke, which sought to renew the tradition of monumental and religious painting in the spirit of pre-war academicism.
After the outbreak of World War II, he became involved in underground activities. He cooperated with the resistance movement, including by organizing help for artists hiding from the occupiers.
He was arrested by the Gestapo in June 1942. On June 30 of the same year he was executed in Magdalenka near Warsaw.
