Watercolor, 70 x 50 cm, 2026, framed 133 x 97 cm
Weight: 25 kg. !
Janusz Kulikowski (b. 1964) is a Polish contemporary painter who works primarily in oil and watercolor. His interest in art stemmed from his family home—he gained his first experiences by observing his father’s work. Even as a young man, he painted his own works, but initially chose a different career path. Years later, he returned to his greatest passion and dedicated his life to art.
Depictions of classic automobiles, historical aviation, architecture, ports, shipyards, and urban and industrial landscapes hold a special place in his body of work. The artist eagerly draws on motifs that evoke memories of bygone eras—vintage cars, airplanes, monumental ships, and engineering structures. In his paintings, these are not merely objects but full-fledged protagonists of the compositions, evoking the atmosphere of journeys of the past, engineering achievements, and an ever-changing civilization.
Janusz Kulikowski’s watercolors stand out for their exceptional attention to detail and the remarkable precision with which even the smallest elements are rendered. This is all the more commendable given that the artist works on paper—a medium that is exceptionally demanding and allows for almost no subsequent corrections. Watercolor itself is one of the most difficult painting techniques: it requires a confident hand, an excellent sense of proportion, and complete control over water and transparent pigment.
Despite the natural lightness of watercolor, Kulikowski achieves a level of detail typically associated with intricately rendered realist painting. With extraordinary precision, he captures the structure of vehicles and machines, their mechanical components, the contours of the bodywork, the sheen of metal, and the reflections of light. Every detail remains clear while remaining subordinate to the harmony of the entire composition.
The artist skillfully combines the precise rendering of the foreground subject with a more free-flowing, luminous, and at times almost dissolving background. As a result, the depicted objects appear almost three-dimensional, while the painting retains the freshness, transparency, and noble lightness characteristic of the watercolor technique.
Janusz Kulikowski’s works are held in private collections in Poland and abroad. They are also exhibited in galleries and regularly appear on the Polish auction market. The archives of DESA Unicum and Artinfo document numerous works by the artist, both in oil and watercolor, devoted, among other subjects, to automobiles and aviation.
“Ave Caesar” is a monumental, exceptionally striking watercolor and one of the largest works Janusz Kulikowski has created to date using this medium. It can be considered one of the most important works in his body of work—a piece that fully showcases the artist’s exceptional skill, precision, and technical maturity.
The central figure of the composition is a triumphant Caesar, depicted on a richly decorated chariot drawn by two white horses. The ruler’s raised hand, laurel wreath, purple cloak, and exquisitely rendered armor lend him a majestic air. All around unfolds a lively scene of a triumphal entry: Roman soldiers, banners, a cheering crowd, monumental architecture, and flower petals floating in the air create the atmosphere of a grand historical spectacle.
The composition impresses with its grandeur, but its greatest strength lies in the details. The artist has recreated the faces of the procession’s participants, elements of their armor, the chariot’s ornamentation, the horses’ harnesses, the folds of the fabrics, and fragments of ancient architecture with extraordinary precision. The white horses are particularly striking—their gazes, musculature, coats, and decorative bridles are rendered with almost portrait-like precision.
The work is an excellent example of what most distinguishes Janusz Kulikowski from other watercolorists: his passion for realistic, exceptionally detailed depictions of reality. The artist draws on the experience he gained in oil painting, translating its depth, precision, and tonal richness into the demanding medium of watercolor. Despite the large format, he maintains full control over the transparent pigment, light, and water. He combines precisely rendered foreground figures with more free-flowing, luminous sections of the sky, architecture, and the bustling crowd.
Creating such a large and elaborate watercolor is a tremendous technical challenge. The paper does not allow for easy corrections, so every part of the composition required a steady hand, meticulous planning, and complete mastery of his technique. “Ave Caesar” is not only a spectacular historical scene but also a demonstration of Janusz Kulikowski’s greatest artistic capabilities.
Such an exceptional work could not be framed haphazardly. The watercolor was placed in a monumental, custom-made frame. The deep black of the double passe-partout is accented by two subtle, golden stripes that draw the eye directly to the composition and harmonize perfectly with the painting’s color palette. The whole is encased in a wide, richly ornamented gold-colored frame, whose character evokes the splendor of ancient Rome.
The frame does not dominate the artwork—it emphasizes its stature, monumentality, and imperial character. The entire piece measures an impressive 133 × 97 cm and weighs approximately 25–30 kilograms. It is a true “heavyweight” among collector’s items—both literally and artistically.
When it comes to this work, one rule applies: give to Caesar what is best.
