Modny artysta – moda na Matejkę

Abstract

Jan Matejko (1838–1893) was not only a historical painter but also an eminent portraitist. He was capable of rendering character traits and emotional states of people being portrayed in exceptional way. The artist perceived the essence of the portrait in showing the full knowledge of the man. The early portraits are mainly images of relatives and friends. He performed many portraits on request. Matejko created also his own portraits, beginning with these early ones painted at the age of ten or so through the student’s period up to those ones created in the final years of his life. In addition to these effigies, Matejko gave his own facial features and images of his nearest and dearest to the characters appearing in his works. Significant decorations, awards at the European exhibitions, serving on artistic and scientific assemblies, popularity of his works contributed to the constant interest in his person. Fashionable life style of the Matejko family as well as „the fashion for the painter” will be presented in the view of existing epistolographical sources, memoirs, the artist’s wife niece’s diary as well as the log kept by the secretary of Matejko.