Józef BRODOWSKI (1772-1853), Captives, 1852

oil, duplicated canvas; 55.5 x 46 cm;
Signed and dated l. d.: JB (tied monogram) 1852;
painting after conservation.

Before conservation, the two offered works by Józef Brodowski (items 042, 043) had fragments of exhibition stickers, probably from the mentioned retrospective exhibition of the late painters in 1898, which can be confirmed, contained
both on the residually preserved sticker and in the exhibition catalog, may be confirmed by the name of the owner, i.e. Gabriela Gerard-Wyzycka, and the analogous dimensions of the offered painting "Branka." Under this title, the work is also listed
in the "Album of Polish Art" compiled by Henryk Piątkowski. Unfortunately, it was not possible to preserve both designations of the paintings when conservation work was carried out.
Józef Brodowski (the elder) is a representative of classicism in Polish painting. He was a teacher of Piotr Michałowski, among others.
The canvas on offer, with its now mysterious title, perhaps refers to a literary theme popular at the time of the work's creation, and plunged into the darkness of the past for us at the beginning of the 21st century.