Tymon Niesiołowski (1982-1965)

sketch, paper, 41x30.5 cm

Tymon Niesiołowski was born on October 2, 1882 in Lviv. From 1900 to 1905, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow under Stanisław Wyspianski and Józef Mehoffer. The first exhibition of Tymon Niesiolowski's works was held at the Cracow TPSP in 1903. In 1907-08, 1912 and 1928 the artist traveled to Munich, Vienna, Italy and Paris. From 1905 he lived in Zakopane, where he designed patterns for the "Kilim" studio. Later his works could be seen, mainly as part of the well-known "Group of Five." This group, founded in 1905, also included other Krakow painters: Wlastimil Hofman, Mieczyslaw Jakimowicz, Leopold Gottlieb, Jan Rembowski. In 1917-1922 he was a member of the avant-garde group Polish Expressionists (transformed into Formists in 1919). In 1919 he took a position as a professor at the Free School of Fine Arts established in Zakopane. In 1922 he became associated with the Rhythm Association of Polish Artists. In 1926 he moved to Vilnius, where he became director of the School of Arts and Crafts; he also joined the Vilnius Society of Visual Artists. From 1928, he taught painting and textile and poster design at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Stefan Batory University. He painted still lifes, nudes, portraits and, less frequently, landscapes, and was also involved in printmaking. His style evolved over the years; his early works reveal clear influences from the work of Stanislaw Wyspianski, while his later works reveal clear inspirations from French painting. During the Formist period, the forms in Niesiolowski's paintings became solid and slenderized. In accordance with the theory of reliefism he created, the artist operated with a strong contrast in value and a thick contour circling synthetic shapes. The most recurring motif in Niesiolowski's paintings was the nude in the interior. In 1934, he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit. In 1955 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. Ten years later he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. In addition, Niesiołowski also received many Polish and foreign honors and awards. Tymon Niesiołowski died in Toruń, in June 1965 and was buried in the avenue of merit of the Powazki Cemetery.