Adam Styka (1890 Kielce-1959 New York), Through the River

oil, cardboard, 36.5 × 45 cm
Signed p. d.: "ADAM/STYKA" (in frame)

On the reverse a sticker of the shipping company: "ROBINOT Fréres / SPE-CIALITÉ d'EMBALLAGE et TRANSPORT / D'OBJETS D'ART. / 18, Rue Yvart - PARIS (15e) | Téléph.: VAUGIRARD 10-69 | 18746 B [framed] | M Styka | Exposition: Bruxelles," and a stamp with an anchor and caduceus

"Looking at the present larger collection of this only Polish Orientalist in art - we find great development and mastery of the technical side of the canvases. Painting light is considered a very difficult thing in a painting. - Styka overcame this difficulty. The pasto-laid paints tell us the wilds of the East, giving us a foretaste of Pharaonic lands, the spell of legend associating with the real world, which weaves into a whole - half real, half fairy tale." (W. Wankie, Adam Styka, group exhibition at Zachęta, "Tygodnik Ilustrowany", 22.IV.1922, p. 266)

"Go to the room where Adam Styka's People of the East is located, and immediately the temperature seems to rise; for these scenes of Algiers and Egypt are so hot in color, as if each, of these landscapes were on fire from the sun. The high key primary colors burst forth rendered with magnificent realism of sullen, long-membered camels, melancholy donkeys; rocks and sands glistening in the sun like bristles, half-baked trees sizzling in the sun, water more liquid than the "aqua pura" itself - sometimes unbelievably, abundantly blue with intense reflections. Such stunning luminosity, color and heat are rarely seen even in Eastern paintings. These are paintings that should not be missed by any lover of the energy contained in sensual beauty." (A. Bridle "The Toronto Daily Star", March 4, 1937, quoted in Cz. Czaplinski, "The Styka Family Saga/Saga of the Styka Family", New York 1988, pp. 152-153.)

Initially, Adam Styka's professional life was not at all to be associated with painting. Despite the fact that Adam showed great interest in art from an early age, his father Jan had completely different plans for his youngest son. First of all, he greatly favored his older son Tadeusz in terms of his artistic development. As Wanda Styka, Adam's wife, recalls, "Father said that three Styka painters were not needed, and wanted to direct Adam to a different path" (Czeslaw Czaplinski, "The Styka Family Saga - Saga of the Styka family", New York 1988, p.135). This path was to be the future study of engineering. Around 1907, Adam was sent to the prestigious Catholic school Passy in Froyennes, Belgium, preparing him to study engineering at the best universities in France (Lit. Andrzej Bińkowski, Bińkowska Maja, Skrodzka Barbara, Su Romain, "Adam Styka, life and work", 2015, p.6.). There, fortunately, Adam's great artistic talent was noticed by one of Adam's teachers and persuaded Jan to send his son to study painting. This is how Adam began his studies at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the tutelage of French academic painter Fernand Cormon (1855-1924), who painted portrait, historical and religious representations, and the fruit of his stay in Tunisia also became paintings of oriental themes. It was probably contact with this artist that instilled in the young student a fascination with the distant world of the Orient. Adam's first trip to Africa was most likely in 1909, as part of a scholarship he received. Subsequent trips to Algiers and Tunis took place in 1911. Since then, Adam Styka visited exotic African countries many times, and these trips were an integral part of the artist's life. Styka was absolutely enthralled with the Black Continent, its people and landscapes. Since then, on the canvases of the youngest Styka appeared sun-drenched scenes from the life of nomads, caravans, scenes at watering holes with camels or donkeys, with erotic overtones portraits of Moroccan women and lovers. All these works delighted the public, and critics wrote about them as follows:
"At the Gerard Brothers Gallery, at 2 La Boétie Street, lovers of true Art have the great pleasure of seeing sixty works by the young master Adam Styka. All the canvases on display are exquisite and dazzle with wonderful richness of color. The composition of the works indicates the author's great artistic ability, while the highly varied execution testifies to the artist's whimsical and varied sensitivity; all confirming the talent of this master of oriental scenes. We see both bold canvases, executed with a dense mass of color and youthful ardor, and works characterized by intense poeticism and charming delicacy. These studies depict the life of the Orient in all its beauty and with a wealth of impressions. Adam Styka's paintings are without exception moving (...). What we took from our visit was the impression of splendor that enchanted our eyes and aesthetic satisfaction. Which we experienced with extraordinary intensity. We wish a long and brilliant career to the young master, who is already gaining fame and entering the path previously taken by his father Jan Styka and brother Tadeusz. The exhibition of Adam Styka's works, which we had the opportunity to admire, reassures us of his bright future."
C. Merlot, L'Art polonais á Paris. L'exposition des oeuvres de M. Adam Styka [exhibition at Galerie Gérard], "La Pologne politique, économique, littéeaire at artistique" 1920, sem. II, pp 1318-1322.