Szymon Czechowicz: 24 cool facts

Szymon Czechowicz (July 1689 – 21 July 1775) was a prominent Polish painter of the Baroque, considered one of the most clever painters of 18th century sacral painting in Poland. He specialized in sublime effigies of painted figures. His commencement of a instructor of painting gives him a great influence upon Polish art.

Initially trained by the court painter of Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński, in 1711 he went to Rome, where was admitted to Accademia di San Luca. His teach was Benedetto Luti. During his apprenticeship in Rome he adroit copying works of famous artists, such as Raphael (designs of tapestries), Guido Reni (Crucifixion, today in the St. Stanisław’s Church in Rome; Massacre of the Innocents, Lviv Gallery of Art), Peter Paul Rubens (Christ in the middle of the Pharisees), Federico Barocci (Deposition, Lviv Gallery of Art). In 1716 he was awarded by the Accademia for two of his drawings, Samson vanquishing the lion and Victorious recompense from the expedition. While still in Rome he painted some altar paintings for churches in Poland – Vision of St. Anthony, The Descent from the Cross, Protection of the Mother of God more than Kraków for the Piarists Church in Kraków (1729), and Assumption of the Virgin Mary for the Cathedral in Kielce (1730).

In 1731 he went back to Poland, where in Warsaw he competed next Johann Samuel Mock to get the perspective of court painter of Augustus II the Strong. Shortly like he became a renowned portrait and religious painter. Among his clients were Polish and Lithuanian magnates and powerful clergymen – Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński, Grand Treasurer of the Crown (between 1731–34 he painted his portrait, today in the Armoury of the Castle in Liw), Jan Aleksander Lipski, Bishop of Kraków, Jan Fryderyk Sapieha, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania (in approximately 1740 he painted his portrait, today in the Lithuanian Art Museum in Vilnius, and at his initiative some religious paintings for St. Anne’s Church and SS. Peter and Paul’s Church in Kraków in 1741), Jan Tarło, voivode of Sandomierz (after 1743 paintings intended for parish church in Opole Lubelskie), Sułkowski family (paintings for the City Church in Leszno), Jan Klemens Branicki, Grand Crown Hetman (in 1750 he made 7 paintings for the parish church in Tykocin, and in 1760 two more for parish church in Tyczyn), Wacław Rzewuski, Grand Crown Hetman (between 1762–67 paintings for the castle chapel in Pidhirtsi). In his portraits he was influenced by the Sarmatian portrait, though he put emphasis upon the psychology of his subject. He worked in Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Pidhirtsi, Polotsk and Vilnius. From just about 1750, he used delicate colours contiguously related past rococo. Czechowicz conventional his own intellectual of painting, where he taught release of charge. Some of his paintings were probably clever by his pupils – Franciszek Smuglewicz, Tadeusz Konicz, Jan Ścisło, Jan Bogumił Plersch and Antoni Albertrandi. In his religious paintings he followed the patterns of the mature Roman Baroque, especially Carlo Maratta, Benedetto Luti and Sebastiano Conca, while his portraits were inspired by Saxon instructor of portrait. Czechowicz died in 1775 in Warsaw and was buried in the Capucine Church.