Konstanty Laszczka “View of Regle” 1905

Pastel on cardboard, signed and dated lower right: „K.Laszczka 1905”.

Framed: 71,5x81,5 cm (51 × 62 cm)

Exhibited and published: - „Konstanty Laszczka 1865-1956”, Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, November 2016- January 2017; [Catalogue from exhibition] Zofia Weiss, Katarzyna Łomnicka, „Konstanty Laszczka”, Cracow 2017, p. 94.

Konstanty Laszczka (1865 - 1956 Cracow) was a Polish sculptor, painter, graphic artist. Laszczka was born into a large farming family in Mazovia, the son of Antoni Laszczka and his wife Katarzyna, from Kupce village. His talent was first discovered by the Ostrowscy family of landed gentry, who sponsored his art studies in Warsaw in 1885 under the tutorage of Jan Kryński and Ludwik Pyrowicz. Soon later, Laszczka received a scholarship from the Polish Society of Visual Arts (Towarzystwo Sztuk Pięknych) called "Zachęta" and went to Paris in 1891. While in France, he studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts Academy. He received directions from such artists as Jean-Antoine Mercié, Alexandre Falguiere and Jean-Léon Gérôme. He was also involved in the arts movement of the French Polonia. In 1897 Laszczka returned to Poland under foreign partitions and became a teacher in Warsaw. In 1899, at the invitation of painter Julian Fałat, Laszczka settled in Kraków, where he became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. In the years 1900-1935, he was a director at the Sculpture Department there. While in Kraków, Konstanty Laszczka became close friends with Stanisław Wyspiański and Leon Wyczółkowski. He was one of the founding members of the Society of Polish Artists called "Sztuka" (Art), with the aesthetic philosophy of the Young Poland Movement. Among his students were: Stanisław Jackowski, Bolesław Biegas, Xawery Dunikowski, Ludwik Konarzewski, Franciszek Mączyński, Olga Niewska and Zofia Baltarowicz-Dzielińska. In the years 1900-1910, he also cooperated as a graphic designer and sculptor with the ceramic factory of Józef Niedźwiecki in nearby Dębniki.