Leon Wyczółkowski, LAS

39,2 x 48,2cm - pencil, crayon, paper

Signed l.d.: LWyczół [initials tied].

Pin marks in the corners; number (in pencil) on the back: 32.



Leon Wyczółkowski's crayon drawings constitute a unique collection in which the artist depicts tree motifs with unprecedented sensitivity. Although Wyczółkowski was a master of many techniques, it was the crayon - whether lithographic, colored pencils or pastels - that allowed him to brilliantly capture atmosphere, color impressions and transfer them to paper.

Crayon, unlike oil paint, enabled Wyczółkowski to make quick notes of observations and emotions. Its dry, matte texture was also ideal for rendering the rough bark of trees, cracked trunks and delicate leaves. The artist applied layers of crayon to the paper, building up the depth of the image using the natural shade of the ground. Wyczółkowski often used the technique of sketching, where he did not aim for perfect reproduction, but rather to capture the atmosphere.

Leon Wyczółkowski's crayon drawings are proof that even the simplest techniques can be used to create works of great expressive power, saturated with deep symbolism and a personal attitude to nature.



Leon Wyczółkowski (Huta Miastkowska near Siedlce 1852 - Warsaw 1936) - painter, graphic artist and educator, was one of the most outstanding Polish artists creating at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He began his artistic studies at the Warsaw Drawing Class under Wojciech Gerson and Aleksander Kaminski (1869-1873), then continued them at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts under Aleksander Wagner (1875-1877), in Cracow under Jan Matejko (1877/78) and during two trips to Paris (1878 and 1889). After his studies, he settled in Lviv and later moved to Warsaw. He spent the years 1883-1893 traveling in Ukraine and Podolia. In 1895 he moved to Cracow appointed as a lecturer at the School of Fine Arts there. In the following years he traveled extensively - to Italy, France, Spain, Holland, England. He was one of the founding members of the Society of Polish Artists "Art". He exhibited a lot both at home and abroad. He spent the years 1929-1936 in Poznań and Gościeradz, commuting to Warsaw, where (from 1934) he held the chair of graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts. He painted landscapes, portraits, genre scenes, still lifes and flowers. He readily used pastel and watercolor techniques, was an accomplished printmaker, and was also involved in sculpture.