Jan Rembowski

Jan Rembowski (12 January 1879 in Warsaw – 26 January 1923 in Warsaw) was a Polish Symbolist painter, pastelist and sculptor. He was also associated with Art Nouveau.

Self-portrait by the Sea with a Basket of Fruit (1918)

Biography

His father was a landlord and had been a participant in the January Uprising. He took his first drawing lessons from Wojciech Gerson, then studied sculpture at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts with Konstanty Laszczka.[1] In 1905, he married a French woman, who was there teaching the language, and had two daughters; one of whom (Hanna Rembowska) became an illustrator.

From 1905 to 1907, he studied painting with Józef Mehoffer.[2] During that time, he helped found the "Group of Five" (or "Group Norwid", after Cyprian Norwid) with Leopold Gottlieb, Wlastimil Hofman, Mieczysław Jakimowicz and Witold Wojtkiewicz.[1] The group promoted the idea of a connection between literature, music and the visual arts. He also helped create a group called "Sztuka Podhalańska" in Zakopane, where he often went for his health (he was suffering from tuberculosis). Despite this, he served in the Polish Legions during World War I.[1]

As his health worsened, he had to give up sculpture, as it required too much effort. In addition to paintings, he created interior designs; notably at the sanatorium operated by Dr. Kazimierz Dłuski (1910).[2] He also wrote essays on the folk culture of Podhale and did illustrations for the first edition of a popular alphabet book by Marian Falski. He exhibited frequently and widely until 1920.

Much of his work was destroyed during World War II.

Selected works
  • Two Girls
  • The Return of Tobias
  • Enchanted Maiden
  • Portrait of a Peasant

References
  1. Brief biography @ Agra Art.
  2. Brief biography @ Culture.pl

Media related to Jan Rembowski at Wikimedia Commons

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