Stanisław Masłowski,ławMasł born Stanisław Stefan Zygmunt Ludgard Masłowski (3 December 1853 in Włodawa, – 31 May 1926 in Warsaw) was a Polish painter of realistic style, the author of watercolor landscapes.
Biography
Masłowski was born on 3 December 1853 in Włodawa on the Bug River (present day Poland), and there was christened 8 May 1854. His certificate of baptism is stored in the archives of the Parish of St. Louis of Pauline Fathers in Włodawa. He came from an impoverished noble family (Samson coat of arms), which originates from Wieluń (Poland) . "Masłowski" family used the nickname "Watta of Ruda" (Polish: "z Rudy"). Zygmunt Gloger in his Geografia historyczna ziem dawnej Polski (Historic Geography of Ancient Polish Lands) repeats after Jan Długosz, that the first capital of Wieluń County was Ruda before Wieluń, which was more conveniently located.
Masłowski was the son of Rajmund Masłowski (1825–1897) and Waleria Józefa Katarzyna née Danilewicz (1827-1869). One of his four brothers was Bolesław Masłowski, chemist (1851–1928). Masłowski's grandfather from his mother, Wincenty Danilewicz vel Danielewicz, (Ostoja coat of arms, born in 1787 in Mińsk Lit. – former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth territory), was involved – as light-cavalryman – in the Napoleonic campaign, for which he was awarded the French Order of Legion of Honour. Masłowski's father was a lawyer. He was promoted several times, changing with his family place of residence.
Włodawa, place of birth of the future artist – was one of many towns where his father was employed. Masłowski family moved in 1856 from Włodawa to Garwolin, where Rajmund served as a courtroom writer. In 1858–1865 Maslowski lived in Chęciny. It is worth noting that Rajmund Masłowski in January Uprising was the head of the Chęciny district. Therefore, in mid- 1864 he was arrested, and then about six months he spent in prison in Kielce
Since 1865 Masłowski lived in Kalisz, where his first drawing teacher in the local high school, was painter Stanisław Barcikowski, a graduate of Warsaw School of Fine Arts. During this period, Masłowski drew a lot from nature, including between 1865 and 1871 in Bronów near Poddębice at his father's friends – Maria and Jarosław Konopnicki (see story by Konopnicka: "How do Children in Bronów with Rozalia Entertained", where he was called "Stasikoszczok") and then in Jędrzejów, where lived Wincenty Danilewicz, his grandfather. He was also copying Juliusz Kossak's pictures from illustrated magazines.
Art studies
Since 1871 Stanisław Masłowski lived in Warsaw, where his father was transferred by court administration. His studies at the Warsaw School of Drawing (i. e. Wojciech Gerson's drawing school) lasted perhaps permanently in 1871–1875. "In this school I received – finds the artist in an autobiographical note – the advice of Mr. Gerson and Mr. Aleksander Kamiński." In 1875 Masłowski received the silver medal of the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, as an award for his school drawings. During this period he took an active part in the life of the famous atelier rented by a group of artists-painters: J. Chełmoński, S. Witkiewicz, A.Piotrowski and others in the "Hotel Europejski" in Warsaw. Sincere affection for his colleagues from "Europe" (as he called it) remained him for the rest of his life.
However it was Ukraine, which gave to young Masłowski many painting emotions. For the first time he went there accompanied by writer Edward Chłopicki (1875). The second trip took place in 1876 (with this Ukrainian visit a number of Masłowski's letters to the artist-painter Władysław Leszczyński are involved). The next trips took place at least in 1878, and 1886.
In 1884–1887 Stanisław Masłowski entered a new phase of creativity and a new environment. At that time, he developed close relations with the group of friendly painters and writers associated with "Wędrowiec" weekly magazine, including Aleksander Gierymski and Antoni Sygietyński, and young painters: Józef Pankiewicz and Władysław Podkowiński. In 1886 Masłowski spent half a year in Munich, where – as he writes – "worked at home".