Roman Kochanowski, AT THE EDGE OF THE BIRCH FOREST

11.9 x 20.8 cm - oil on mahogany panel

signed lower left: R Kochanowski

Roman Kochanowski (Kraków 1857 – Freising near Munich 1945)—painter and printmaker—was one of the Polish artists who settled and worked permanently in Munich. He began his studies in painting in Kraków; initially in the private studio of Maksymilian Cerch, and from 1873 to 1875 at the School of Fine Arts under Władysław Łuszczkiewicz and the landscape painter Henryk Grabiński. For the next two years, he continued his studies in the landscape department at the Vienna Academy. In 1881, he moved to Munich, where he had his own studio and soon started a family. However, he often visited Kraków, spent time in the Poznań region, and traveled through Galicia and Podolia, sketching landscapes and cityscapes that were later included in an album published in Vienna in 1898. The artist was a member of the Munich Kunstverein and participated in numerous exhibitions in Germany, Vienna, and London; he also submitted his works to national exhibitions. He painted primarily landscapes and only rarely flowers and portraits. A constant and favorite motif in his paintings was the Polish landscape near Kraków, with figures of people woven into it. The artist’s paintings, often executed on small wooden panels and devoid of anecdotal elements, are distinguished by their exceptional painterly qualities, harmony of color, and a mood full of lyricism. They garnered attention and awards at numerous exhibitions and were also highly valued on the art market. In 1892, following an exhibition in Vienna, Emperor Franz Joseph purchased one of Kochanowski’s paintings for his collection; two others were acquired by members of the imperial family. Karol Józef Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria, was an admirer of his paintings. The artist’s great sensitivity to landscape and nature is also evident in his drawings and etchings.

Kochanowski’s work was recently highlighted in a monographic exhibition of his works organized at the Jacek Malczewski Museum in Radom in 2007. The exhibition—which was also shown in Katowice, Sandomierz, Szczecin, Gdańsk, Piotrków Trybunalski—was accompanied by a richly illustrated catalog serving as a compendium of knowledge about the artist (see: Roman Kochanowski [1857–1945]. On the 150th Anniversary of His Birth, [edited and compiled by Z. K. Posiadała], Jacek Malczewski Museum in Radom, Radom 2007).