Survey of Polish Artists: Part I

The influence of Polish immigrants in Chicago began in the late 1800s, driven primarily by economic and structural change in Poland at the time. Not surprisingly, Polish culture and art took root in the diverse backdrop of Chicago history. The following entry takes a deeper look at some of Poland’s most acclaimed artists and their importance in Polish culture and the greater art world.

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has had the great fortune of researching artwork by Polish artists such as Piotr Stachiewicz, Teodor Axentowicz, Aleksander Augustynowicz, and Wladyslaw Teodor Benda.

Born in 1858, Piotr Stachiewicz was primarily a portrait painter. Stachiewicz was also an illustrator, creating images for novels and Krakow’s bi-weekly publication of “The World”. His painting (above) entitled “Portrait of Sarah Bernhard” from 1890 shows his affinity and talent for portraiture. His portraits of women, particularly in the native dress of his home country, were not only descriptive of Polish culture, but also illustrious images, indicative of the wealth of art produced by Polish contemporaries. Portraiture of beautiful women became a theme of many Polish artists during the time, including Teodor Axentowicz.

Teodor Axentowicz began as an illustrator for ‘Le monde illustre’ doing popular copies of works by masters Botticelli, Titian, Valezquez, and Correggio. His portraiture career took off in London, England. In 1890 alone, he was commissioned to paint twelve portraits. His subjects included actress Sarah Bernhardt, Henrietta Fouquier, and Wladyslaw Oslawski. The Oslawski portrait earned him a position in the Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts in 1890. His canvases were truly unique and advanced the art of portraiture during his time. The use of pastels created a lovely and delicate representation of the many women he depicted. Axentowicx drew inspiration from artists like J. Whistler, John Singer Sargent, and G.J. Boldiniego and painted with a narrow range of colors, employing subtle feminine qualities, highlighting delicateness and a sentimental character. His artwork was exhibited domestically and internationally, reaching Chicago in 1927.

Polish artist Aleksander Augustynowicz also became well known for his portraits. Augustynowicz studied at the Krakow School of Fine Arts under Feliks Szynalewski, Wladyslaw Luszczkiewicz, and Jan Matejko. His works were exhibited in Krakow, Lwow, Poznan, and Warsaw, as well as in Berlin, Vienna, London, and Munich. The artist explored other genres apart from portraiture, such as landscape and scenes of everyday life, however, he will forever be remembered as a portrait painter.

Another Polish artist who did trained at the Krakow School of Fine Arts was Wladyslaw Teodor Benda.

Benda was born January 15, 1873 in Poznań, Poland. The son of a musician, Benda’s childhood was filled with creative and talented people, including his aunt, actress Helena Modrzejewska (known as Helena Modjeska in the United States). After studying at the Krakow School of Fine Arts, he traveled to the United States. With the help of his aunt, he began his career as a set and costume designer. The actress got Benda a job designing her production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra in Los Angeles. Later, the artist moved to New York City and started concentrating on painting, where his portraits of women gained him recognition. Benda also became an illustrator for advertising agencies and magazines, designing covers for Collier’s McCalls, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Good Housekeeping, which incorporated the beautiful portraits of women that had made him so famous.

(Left: Redcross Magazine, "The Drive for Home" (1919) Bend)

(Right: Cosmopolitan (1927) Benda)

Benda’s women were exotic and fierce, They were “darker, more mysterious, more foreign, not apple-pie pretty like Fishers’ Phillips’, or Christy’s girls”.[i]

(Left: The Shrine (1927) Benda)

(Right: Cosmopolitan, "The Hour" (1917) Benda)

Benda’s work has appeared in museums and collections throughout the world and Chicago is no exception. In the Polish Museum of Chicago there are nearly 100 posters and over 10 of Benda’s drawings. They portray a variety of themes, beginning with nature, portraits of women, and ending with historical subjects. Posters relating to World War I are also on display as well as two masks of the face of his aunt, Helena Modrzejewska.[ii]

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has had the good fortune of appraising pieces by Piotr Stachiewicz, Aleksander Augustynowicz, Teodor Axentowicz, and Wladyslaw Teodor Benda. As a research-oriented appraisal office, MIR is staffed with appraisers and researchers with a wide array of specialties and are as competent appraising an Abstract Expressionist oil painting as they are a portrait miniature or a diamond ring. We welcome you to explore our website and encourage you to call us with any questions you may have about our services. We are located on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, and we encourage you to schedule an appointment to visit our office and appraisal staff.

Written and researched by Taylor Maatman

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
Principal Appraiser: Farhad Radfar, ISA AM
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 814-8510

Works cited:

[i] http://www.americanartarchives.com/benda.htm

[ii] http://www.polishmuseumofamerica.org/v4/EnglishVersion/PMAMuseum.htm

http://www.thekf.org/kf/

William Q. Orchardson’s "Too Good to be True"

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday we thought we would feature William Quiller Orchardson’s Too Good to be True, a painting that contemplates the spirit of giving in addition to featuring abundance and locally grown produce at its best. It is an exceptional painting by an artist who would by the end of his life was knighted in 1907 in addition to being an esteemed member among the ranks of the Royal Academy in England and Scotland.

Orchardson (Scottish 1832-1910) is best known for his “sketchy” quality of painting, his subdued colors and unique spatial arrangements of subjects. The canvas size of Too Good to be True is unusual because it accommodates the artist’s well known yet slightly bizarre distance typically left between subjects. This space increases the sense of drama and adds to the visual interest of the painting. This piece is also exceptional for its great detail, and in this case, the intricately captured vegetables, one can almost visualize a Thanksgiving cornucopia. The artist has rendered the scene so dutifully that the green onions still have their dirty hair-thin roots attached, and the tin can used to scoop textured peas showcases a ridged and dented surface. Orchardson manages to capture a potential feast of many colors, textures and sizes in an otherwise bland atmosphere.

The subjects of Orchardson’s paintings changed over time and spanned much more than seemingly nostalgic scenes like his most famous work Master Baby housed in the National Galleries of Scotland. Orchardson was a versatile artist who rendered historical images such as Napoleon in exile and literary characters from Shakespeare, Dickens and Sir Walter Scott. He exhibited consistently throughout his career and eventually became a respected presidential candidate for the Royal Academy by the late 19^th century.

Orchardson’s work attracted press attention both during and after his life. A recent article in the New York Times describes one of the artist’s paintings, On the North Foreland as "almost Impressionist in its freshness.” The image of a woman standing on the edge of a cliff, captures the effects of the wind on her dress and hat. The woman strains to keep her broad hat on her head and looks up to the sky with a liberating, almost euphoric glare. This image captures the artist’s ability to capture a moment and render it in a skillfully crisp manner that is truly exceptional. Paintings by Orchardson are in such world-famous institutions as the National Galleries of Scotland, the Royal Academy of Arts Collection in London, the Tate Gallery and the Musee d’Orsay Collection in Paris.

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. prides itself on its extensive inventory of artists such as Orchardson, whose works that may not adorn your grocery shopping tote bag or other novelty gift shop items but that are nonetheless remembered in the art world for their innovations and stylistic mastery. Give us a call at (312) 814-8510 to schedule a visit to our office. In addition to our extensive menu of appraisal services at MIR, our appraisers and research staff can assist you with unveiling information regarding your long forgotten treasures. While your here you can see Orchardson’s lovely painting and many other stunning pieces of art.

Justin Bergquist
MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 814-8510

Works Cited:
Gleuck, Grace. “Life, Profusely Illustrated, for a Victorian Bourgeoisie,” in New York Times, 28 April 2007.

Gordon, Catherine M. “Orchardson, William Quiller,” in Oxford Art Online.