crayon, paper (round embossed stamp in p.g. corner), 49 x 35 cm
Signed p.d.: 8/9 1919. | JMalczewski
On the so-called "back" protecting the drawing from the back l.g. paper sticker filled in black ink: SALON SZTUKI | KRAKÓW, SZPITALNA 40. - TELEPHONE 2486 | (ABOVE THE CITY THEATRE) | Author J. Malczewski | Content "Head" | Type of pastel (written on the word) oil.
next to the frame notations, underneath centrally in a circle number: 113.
On the upper slat of the frame a sticker of Agra-Art dated December 5, 2004.
Malczewski created his own original painting language based on the confrontation in the painting of two spaces that are reflections of the real world - the material world and the unreal world - the spiritual world. And it was the woman, whose presence in Malczewski's work not only enriched the visual side of his works, most often became an intermediary in conveying hidden thoughts, desires, longings, often hidden emotions that filled the artist's soul. Just as in Malczewski's private life a woman released in him layers of feelings and strong emotions, so in the artist's symbolic paintings a woman becomes the most frequent and most effective carrier of symbolic content.It is in a woman that the artist sees an inspiring muse, but also a predatory femme-fatale in the body of a chimera or harpy. It is a woman who holds the role of a winged messenger, an intermediary between the world of the living and the dead, she becomes an allegory of Poland, Victory - the goddess Nike, ancient Pythia - she embodies ideas, lofty thoughts, but also characters from the fictional world.
Paulina Szymalak-Bugajska, My Soul. The faces of women in the works of Jacek Malczewski, [in:] My soul. Faces of women in the works of Jacek Malczewski, Radom 2019, pp. 9-10.
Jacek Malczewski (Radom 1854 - Kraków 1929) - a prominent representative of Polish modernist painting, began his artistic studies at the School of Fine Arts in Kraków, where in 1872-1875 he studied under Feliks Szynalewski, Władysław Łuszczkiewicz and Jan Matejko, whose studio he attended again in 1877-1879. He then studied at the Paris École des Beaux Arts under E. Lehmann (1876-1877).
In 1880, he traveled to Italy. In 1884-1885, he took part - as a draughtsman - in Karol Lanckoroński's scientific expedition to Pamphylia and Pisidia in Little Asia. At that time he was also in Greece and Italy. In 1885-1886 he stayed in Munich for several months. Upon his return, he settled permanently in Cracow, from where he made further trips to Munich and Italy. In 1896-1900 he taught at the School of Fine Arts in Cracow, and from 1911-1922 he was a professor and twice rector of the Cracow Academy. He spent the years 1914-1915 in Vienna, and in 1916 returned to Cracow. In the last years of his life he stayed mainly in Luslawice and Charzewice near Zakliczyn. He was a co-founder of the Society of Polish Artists "Art" (1897) and a member of the "Zero" group (1908).
In the early period of his career, he painted portraits, genre scenes and - above all - paintings with themes related to the martyrdom of Poles after the January Uprising(Death of Ellenai, Sunday in the Mine, On the Stage, Christmas Eve in Siberia). Later, from the 1890s, he created paintings of symbolic content with intermingled patriotic, biblical, fairy-tale, literary and allegorical-fantastic themes.
