Jan Matejko leaning on the balustrade

Description

The photograph depicts Jan Matejko (1838–1893), a painter, an outstanding representative of the historical painting movement, an educator and director of the School of Fine Arts in Kraków, a pioneer of monument conservation, an expert on Polish history and culture, and a member of numerous scientific societies as well as artistic and social associations. 

The mature man is photographed in a standing position, leaning his back against a stone balustrade in a three-quarter view. He is dressed in a dark suit with a waistcoat. His slender face, framed by longer hair, his slightly tousled beard, and above all his gaze – focused and piercingly directed straight ahead, towards the viewer – catch the eye. The dark figure emerges from a light background, the only feature of which is a blurred section of the balustrade. This cabinet-format photograph was taken at Juliusz Mien’s studio in Kraków.

We invite you to explore the entry for this item in the digital catalogue of the National Museum in Kraków’s collections. Author of the entry: Agnieszka Zagrajek