Władysław Malecki

"Great forest"

oil/canvas, 93,70 x 65,40 cm

Object ID 123577

Władysław Malecki. The poetry of landscape Władysław Malecki's landscape painting occupies a special place in the panorama of Polish painting of the second half of the 19th century. He was one of the first native artists to give landscape subjects a distinctive quality. Malecki's oeuvre was largely shaped by the Munich environment. In 1866-69, the artist took up studies in the Bavarian capital at the private studio of the eminent German landscape painter Eduard Schleich the Elder. During this period he maintained close contacts with the Polish Munich painters: Józef Brandt and Maksymilian Gierymski. His stay in Germany enabled him to study the landscapes of Bavaria, the Tyrol and the Alps. From this time came his drawings, watercolours and oil paintings with views of the Bavarian mountains, the Bavarian-Tyrolean border and the surrounding nature. He was interested in simple compositional solutions and uncomplicated motifs taken directly from nature. Most often these were atmospheric, rural landscapes with an expansive, sensitively painted sky part, suffused with air, with elaborate shapes and arrangements of clouds. A source of inspiration of decisive importance for the development of Malecki's work was the stimmung painting of the Munich school with its striving for the authenticity of the painterly vision of a landscape with an intensified, evocative mood. However, the shape of his landscape painting was also influenced by the experience of French art, particularly the Barbizon school. Like the Barbizonians, Malecki began to focus his interest on the problems of light in the landscape, as well as the variability of colours depending on atmospheric conditions, the time of year and the day. Among other things, he had the opportunity to become acquainted with the paintings of the Barbizon school during the First International Art Exhibition of 1869 in Munich, where the group's paintings were very widely represented. The period around 1870, were an extremely fruitful time for the talented and sensitive landscape painter. He took part in exhibitions in Munich, Vienna, Berlin and London during this time. His paintings enjoyed very favourable reviews and success among collectors. Malecki participated twice in art exhibitions at London's Crystal Palace, in 1874 and 1878. In 1874, the Warsaw press reported: "Mr Malecki, a local painter currently residing in Munich, has been nominated with Mr Brandt, also a local painter, as a member of the Committee of the local Society of Fine Arts. It should be added that Mr Malecki was awarded a gold medal for a landscape painting at a meeting of the committee of the Crystal Palace painting exhibition in London. Only five such medals were given out. Apart from Mr Malecki, they were awarded to Mr Brooks for historical paintings, Mr Peel for landscapes and architecture, Mr Stevens for genre paintings and Mr Castan for historical paintings. In any case, the honour which Mr Malecki received distinguishes him among European artists" ("Kurier Warszawski" 1874, no. 122, p. 2). According to reports, the painting on offer at the auction may have been one of the works sent by the artist to the exhibition. Malecki has used an elongated, vertical format in this painting. What delights in the composition is the way light is captured. The thoughtful choice of the time of day leads to a softening of contrasts and contributes to the painter's fascinating blurriness. Shaping space with light in this way is characteristic of the Munich school of landscape painting and Malecki's teacher Schleich. The delicately muted colours of intermingling greens and browns are enriched with accents of yellow and blue. The very skilfully rendered spatial depth, saturated with diffused light, makes the whole composition permeate with an atmosphere of melancholic reverie. The interior of the forest also attracts attention with an almost impressionistic sensitivity in the distribution of accents of shadow and light seeping through the dense tree crowns. The silhouettes of deer and roe deer, so inconspicuous in relation to the rest of the composition, are characteristically depicted. They are a kind of narrative supplement to the presented fragment of the forest landscape, which by way of contrast emphasises the expression of the natural world.

More Information
Artist Władysław Malecki
Artist's Life (1836 - 1900)
Title "Great forest"
Date circa 1870
Medium oil
Material, base canvas
Kind malarstwo sztalugowe
Dimensions 93.7 x 65.4 cm
Category Name Painting & Drawing
Style realizm
Signature signed lower left: 'W. Malecki'
Other Notes described on the stretcher: 'Malecki Wielki las nabyty w Londynie 1874 | (hardly legible)' and on the frame: 'Malecki', 'London - 1874.' and hardly legible
Requires a permit to export outside of Poland Yes
Exhibited Crystal Palace, London, 1874 (?)
 
Return policy
If you wish to return a product, please contact Service Department 3 days from the shipment arrival.
Check the details

Władysław Malecki

oil/canvas, 93,70 x 65,40 cm

"Great forest"

Object ID 123577
Ask for price
Details
More Information
Artist Władysław Malecki
Artist's Life (1836 - 1900)
Title "Great forest"
Date circa 1870
Medium oil
Material, base canvas
Kind malarstwo sztalugowe
Dimensions 93.7 x 65.4 cm
Category Name Painting & Drawing
Style realizm
Signature signed lower left: 'W. Malecki'
Other Notes described on the stretcher: 'Malecki Wielki las nabyty w Londynie 1874 | (hardly legible)' and on the frame: 'Malecki', 'London - 1874.' and hardly legible
Requires a permit to export outside of Poland Yes
Exhibited Crystal Palace, London, 1874 (?)
Search engine powered by ElasticSuite