Eugeniusz Geppert, AT THE DEVIL, 1923

68.70 x 93.30 cm - oil, cardboard pasted on cardboard
Signed p. d.: Eugeniusz Geppert 1923



Eugeniusz Geppert (Lviv 1890 - Wroclaw 1979) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lviv from 1912-14 and 1918-1920 under Jacek Malczewski and Stanisław Dębicki. He received his diploma in 1920. In 1925-1927, as a scholarship holder of the ZPAP, he stayed in Paris, where he went many times later as well. In 1928 he returned to Poland and settled in Cracow. He belonged to the "Zwornik" and "New Generation" groups, was a member of the editorial board of "Głos Plastyków" and was vice-president and representative of Poland in the "Confédération Internationale des Associations Plastiques." After the war, he settled permanently in Wroclaw, where he became a professor at the State Higher School of Plastic Arts, in various years serving as director, rector, head of the painting studio. In 1962 he co-founded a grouping of visual artists, the so-called "Wroclaw School." One of the favorite motifs of his paintings were horse riders, depicted in both historical and contemporary battle and genre scenes. Here the artist referred to the whole tradition of Polish painting, especially to the paintings of P. Michałowski. He also painted landscapes, still lifes and nudes. Over time, the dark tonality of his canvases lightened, and the composition of his paintings underwent a kind of decorative stylization in the spirit of French painting, including R. Dufy. The artist took part in numerous exhibitions - in the interwar period, during his stay in Paris he exhibited several times at the Autumn Salon and in Parisian galleries, later he exhibited many times at the TPSP in Krakow and Lviv, as well as at the TZSP, IPS and Garlinski Salon in Warsaw. He also presented his works abroad, including in 1938 at the Pittsburgh International Art Exhibition. He also had many exhibitions in the post-war period.
Currently (2012), a large retrospective exhibition of the artist's works opened on October 15 at the National Museum in Wroclaw (open until December 1 this year).