JAN MATEJKO (1838-1893), Kitchen in the castle of Wisnica

woodcut, paper, 19 x14 cm

woodcut, paper 19 x14 cm in light passe - partout; signed on the plate l.d. with bound monogram "JM" and by xylographer l.d. "F.Zablocki"

Drawings on woodcut plates were personally made by Jan Matejko, engraved by the most prominent wood engravers of the time.The graphics come from "Jan Matejko's Album" published in 1876 by Samuel Leventhal, who writes in the afterword, among other things, as follows: "The album included the most exquisite paintings of the master, made in recent times; with the exception of reproductions of Rejtan, Ivan the Terrible, and the Bard of the Lyricist, reproduced most faithfully by Messrs. [Julian] Maszyński and [Stanisław] Witkiewicz, according to photographs taken from the originals, all other works were drawn on wood by Matejko himself " [...] the execution of each of such woodcuts as. Stefan Batory, Sejm in Lublin , etc. required six months of time each, not counting the time used to draw them on wood [...].

Feliks Zablocki (born 1846 in Lowicz, died April 5, 1874 in Warsaw) - Warsaw wood engraver.Active in the years 1863-1874.Until 1867 he engraved for the "Illustrated Weekly", and then for the "Spikes". In 1871, together with Wladyslaw Bojarski, Ignacy Chelmicki and Bronislaw Puce, he organized a cooperative - "Drzeworytnia Warszawska", where woodcuts were engraved for illustrated magazines, mainly Russian. As a result of the development of their activities, the wood engravers established a branch in St. Petersburg.Of the more important works: woodcuts according to a drawing by Juliusz Kossak for a book by Wladyslaw Zawadzki titled Images of the Red Ruthenia (ed. Żupański, Poznań 1869), Panorama of Warsaw from the dome of the Evangelical church according to a drawing by Adolf Kozarski, Wooden houses in Wiśnicz and portraits according to a drawing by Jan Matejko, Rural sculptor according to Aleksander Kotsis, Treasury of the Wawel Cathedral - by Aleksander Gryglewski, Girl with violin - by Artur Grottger, Bachelor - by Leopold Horowitz, Three moments in the life of a shul - by Ksawery Pillati.