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Have you even heard of the great Zofia Stryjeńska – an amazing Polish artist?

3 years ago
This week I have another news for you from the Polski Daily! If you’re interested in learning more about Polish language and culture:

Zofia Stryjeńska was born in 1891. She was a painter, a graphic designer, an illustrator, a set decorator, a designer of clothes, posters and toys, all of her life she spent between Warsaw and Zakopane, being strongly bonded with both.

Her life was no ordinary! Zofia learnt painting at a private Maria Niedzielska Fine Arts Academy for Women in Krakow. In 1911, claiming to be a man, Zofia started studying on the Fine Arts Academy in Munich, which then didn’t yet accept female students. In 1916 she married a famous architect Karol Stryjeński. From 1921 to 1927 they lived together in Zakopane, where Stryjeński got a job as a director of the Timber Industry School.

From 1917 till 1918 Zofia painted a series of paintings named „Pascha” („The Passover”), where she combined the religious and folklore motives. Her are often had some Slavic mythology threads. Her more important pieces of those years were: the freskos in the Museum of Science and Industry in Kraków (1917), polichromies of the chambers in the Senatorska Tower at the Wawel Castle in Kraków (also 1917) and the decorations inside the winery „U Fukiera” in Warsaw.

The main characteristics of the style and the art of Stryjeńska were: the happy, festive mood of Polish traditions and the joy of living a life in harmony with nature, and also, the beauty of a countryside life and youth. Her painings were also very colourful!
She was the most famous Polish painter of 1920s along with Tamara Lempicka. Zofia Stryjeńska passed away in 1976, and on May 13th 2021, on the 130th anniversary of her birthday, she became a hero of Goodle Doodle :)

Cheers!
Dominika