Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale oil paintings such as '' Stańczyk'' (1862), '' Rejtan'' (1866), ''

Union of Lublin The Union of Lublin (; ) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Kingd ...

'' (1869),'' Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God'' (1873), or '' Battle of Grunwald'' (1878). He was the author of numerous portraits, a gallery of Polish monarchs in book form, and

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

s in St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków. He is considered by many as the most celebrated Polish painter, and sometimes as the "national painter" of Poland. Matejko spent most of his life in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

. He enrolled at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts at age fourteen, where he studied under notable artists such as Wojciech Korneli Stattler and Władysław Łuszczkiewicz and completed his first major historical painting in 1853. His early exposure to revolutions in Kraków and the military service of his brothers influenced his artistic themes. After studying art in Munich and Vienna, he returned to Kraków and set up a studio. He gradually gained recognition, selling key paintings that settled his debts and created some of his most famous works, including '' Stańczyk'' and '' Skarga's Sermon''. Matejko's art played a key role in promoting Polish history and national identity at a time when Poland was partitioned and lacked political autonomy. At the same time, Matejko's painting style has been criticised as old-fashioned and overly theatrical, labeled as "antiquarian realism". His works often lost their nuanced historical significance when displayed abroad due to the audience's unfamiliarity with Polish history. Matejko's support for the Polish cause was not just through his art; he also contributed financially and materially to the January Uprising of 1863. Later, he became director of the art academy in Kraków, which was eventually renamed the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts. A number of his students became prominent artists in their own right, including

Maurycy Gottlieb Maurycy Gottlieb ; 21 February 1856 – 17 July 1879) was a Polish-Jewish realist Painting, painter of the Romanticism in Poland, Romantic period. Considered one of the most talented students of Jan Matejko, Gottllieb died at the age of 23. Car ...

, Jacek Malczewski, Józef Mehoffer and Stanisław Wyspiański. He received several honors during his lifetime, including the French Légion d'honneur. Matejko was among the notable people to receive an unsolicited letter from the German philosopher

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

, as the latter tipped, in January 1889, into his psychotic breakdown while in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Biography

Youth

Matejko was born on 24 June 1838, in the Free City of Kraków. His father, Franciszek Ksawery Matejko () (born 1789 or 13 January 1793, died 26 October 1860), a Czech from the village of Roudnice, was a graduate of the Hradec Králové school who later became a tutor and music teacher. He first worked for the Wodzicki family in Kościelniki, Poland, then moved to

, where he married the half-German, half-Polish Joanna Karolina Rossberg (Rozberg). Jan was the ninth of eleven children. His mother died when he was very young and his older brother, Franciszek had a hand in the manner of his upbringing. He grew up in a kamienica building on Floriańska Street. After the death of his mother in 1845, Jan and his siblings were cared for by his maternal aunt, Anna Zamojska. At a young age he witnessed the Kraków revolution of 1846 and the 1848 siege of Kraków by the Austrians, two events which put an end to the Free City of Kraków. Two of his older brothers served in both armed conflicts, under General Józef Bem. One of them,

Edmund Edmund is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and nobles *Ed ...

, fell in battle and the other was forced into exile. Matejko attended St. Anne's High School, but he dropped out in 1851 because of poor grades. Matejko showed an early artistic talent, but had great difficulty with other academic subjects. He never fully mastered a foreign language. Despite that, and because of his exceptional skill, at the age of fourteen he entered the School of Fine Arts in Kraków, where he was a contemporary of Artur Grottger from 1852 to 1858. His teachers included Wojciech Korneli Stattler and Władysław Łuszczkiewicz. He opted for historical painting as his specialism, and finished his first major work, ''The Shuyski Tsars before Zygmunt III'' (''Carowie Szujscy przed Zygmuntem III''), in 1853 (he would return to this theme a year before his death, in 1892. oogle Books does not display page number for this book/ref> During this time, he began exhibiting historical paintings at the Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Arts from 1855.Bochnak (1975), p. 185 His graduation project in 1858 was '' Sigismund I the Old ennobles professors of the

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

'' (''Zygmunt I nadaje szlachectwo profesorom Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego'') and proved to be seminal. After graduation in 1859, Matejko received a scholarship to study with Hermann Anschütz at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich. The following year he received a further scholarship to study at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, but after only a few days and a major quarrel with Christian Ruben, Matejko returned to Kraków. He set up a studio at his family home in Floriańska Street. It took years before he met with commercial success. He struggled as the proverbial "starving artist", who finally celebrated when he managed to sell the ''Shuyski Tsars...'' canvas for five florins. In 1860, against a background of cultural erosion in partitioned Poland Matejko published an illustrated album, ''Clothing in Poland'' (''Ubiory w Polsce''), a project reflecting his intense interest in the historical record of his nation and his desire to promote it among Polish people and incidentally stir their patriotism. His financial situation improved when he sold two paintings, ''The assassination of Wapowski during the coronation of Henri de Valois'' (''Zabicie Wapowskiego w czasie koronacji Henryka Walezego'', 1861) and '' Jan Kochanowski over the body of his daughter Urszulka'' (''Jan Kochanowski nad zwłokami Urszulki'', 1862), which settled his debts. 1862 saw the completion of his '' Stańczyk'', initially received without much acclaim, but in due course becoming one of Matejko's best known works. It marks a manifest departure in Matejko's art, from mere illustrator of history to commentator upon its moral content. During the

January Uprising The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...

of 1863, in which he did not directly take part on account of his poor health, Matejko supported it financially, donating most of his savings to the cause, and personally transporting arms to an insurgents' camp.Bochnak (1975), p. 186 Subsequently, his '' Skarga's Sermon'' (''Kazanie Skargi''), May 1864, was exhibited in the gallery of the Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Arts, which gained him much publicity. On 5 November that same year, he was elected member of the ''Kraków Scientific Society'' (''Towarzystwo Naukowe Krakowskie'') in recognition for his contributions to depicting great national historical themes. On 21 November he married Teodora Giebułtowska, with whom he went on to have five children: Beata, Helena, Tadeusz, Jerzy and Regina. His daughter, Helena, also an artist, later helped

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

victims and was awarded the

Cross of Independence Cross of Independence () was the second highest Polish military decoration between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three classes. History The Cr ...

by President

Stanisław Wojciechowski Stanisław Wojciechowski (; 15 March 1869 – 9 April 1953) was a Polish people, Polish politician and scholar who served as President of Poland between 1922 and 1926, during the Second Polish Republic. He was elected president in 1922, followi ...

Rise to fame

After 1865 Matejko's international recognition grew. His ''Skarga's Sermon'' was awarded a gold medal at the 1865 Paris Salon, prompting Count to buy it for 10,000 florins. In 1867, his painting '' Rejtan'' was awarded a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris and was acquired by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria for 50,000 franks. His next major painting was the ''

'' (''Unia Lubelska''), created during 1867–1869. Acclaimed in Paris, it won Matejko the Cross of the Légion d'honneur.Bochnak (1975), p. 187 and was purchased by the Sejm of Galicia. It was followed by '' Stefan Batory at

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

'' (''Stefan Batory pod Pskowem''), finished in 1871. In 1872, he visited

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and upon his return to Kraków finished ''The Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God'' (''Astronom Kopernik, czyli rozmowa z Bogiem''), which was acquired by the

. From the 1870s onwards he was aided by a secretary, Marian Gorzkowski, who became his personal assistant, his closest friend, a model for a number of his paintings, and the author of a memoir about Matejko. In 1872, during an exhibition in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

he was offered the directorship of the Prague Academy of Fine Arts, quickly followed by a similar offer from the Kraków School of Fine Arts. He accepted the Kraków position, and was for many years its principal ( rector). In 1874, he finished '' Zawieszenie dzwonu Zygmunta'' (''The Hanging of the Sigismund bell''). In 1878, he produced another masterpiece, ''The Battle of Grunwald''.Bochnak (1975), p. 188 That year he received an "honorary grand gold" medal in Paris, while Kraków city council presented him with a ceremonial scepter, as a symbol of his "royal status in fine art". In 1879 came his ''Rok 1863 - Polonia'' (''The Year 1863 - Polonia''), his depiction of the

. Begun in 1864 as the Uprising was waning, he abandoned the canvas for a number of years, perhaps due to the loss of several close friends and family members in the conflict. It languished unfinished until prince

Władysław Czartoryski Prince Władysław (Ladislaus) Czartoryski (3 July 1828 – 23 June 1894) was a Polish noble, political activist in exile, collector of art, and founder of the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków. Early life Czartoryski was born in Warsaw, Congres ...

became interested in acquiring it. To this day it is considered unfinished. 1880-1882 were taken up with another large work, ''The Prussian Tribute'' (''Hołd Pruski'') which Matejko gifted to "the Polish nation". It earned him the

honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

of Kraków. One of the city's squares was renamed Matejko Square. In 1883 he finished '' Jan Sobieski at

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

'' (''Jan Sobieski pod Wiedniem'') which came to be presented to

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

as a "gift of the Polish nation". Being a member of the delegation delivering the canvas to Rome, Matejko was awarded the Knight Commander with Star of the Order of Pius IX.Bochnak (1975), p. 189 The painting is on permanent exhibition in the ''Sobieski Room'' at the Vatican Museums. Around that time he also became vocal on a number of political issues, publishing letters on topics such as Polish-Russian relations. He was also very engaged in efforts to protect and reconstruct historical monuments in Kraków. In 1886, he finished a painting relating to French rather than Polish history, ''The Virgin of Orléans'', a portrayal of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

. In 1887 Matejko received an honorary doctorate from the

, and recognition from the Austrian Society, ''Litteris et Artibus''. In 1888 he completed ''The Battle of Racławice'' (''Bitwa pod Racławicami''). In 1888-1899, to justify his new academic title, he published a group of twelve drawings with accompanying commentary, '' The History of civilisation in Poland'' (''Dzieje Cywilizacji w Polsce''). Between 1890 and 1892, he published a series of works on paper, portraying all the monarchs of Poland (''Poczet królów i książąt polskich'' - ''The kings and princes of Poland'', including queens), whose popularity turned them into the canon portrayals of their subjects. 1891 marked his '' Constitution of the 3 May'' (''Konstytucja 3 Maja''). He went on to compose another large scale work, ''The Oaths of Jan Kazimierz'' (''Śluby Jana Kazimierza''), but death intervened. In 1892, a year before his death, he completed his ''Self-portrait'' (''Autoportret'').

Portraits and other work

In addition to the history paintings Matejko was a prolific portraitist. His subjects included Jagiellonian University rectors

Józef Szujski Józef Szujski (16 June 1835 – 7 February 1883) was a Polish politician, historian, poet and professor of the Jagiellonian University. Life Szujski was born on 16 June 1835 in Tarnów. He studied at Tarnów, then at Kraków (1854) and at Vi ...

and Stanisław Tarnowski, and numerous portraits of family and friends, including ''Wife in her wedding dress'' ("Żona w sukni ślubnej") (1865, destroyed by his wife during a quarrel and recreated in 1879) and a self-portrait (1892). Altogether Matejko authored 320 oil paintings and several thousand drawings and watercolours. He also designed the monumental

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...

murals for the Brick Gothic St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków (1889–1891), which in 1978 became a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

alongside the Historic Centre of Kraków.

Death

Matejko suffered from a

peptic ulcer Peptic ulcer disease is when the inner part of the stomach's gastric mucosa (lining of the stomach), the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus, gets damaged. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while ...

, and died in Kraków on 1 November of internal bleeding. His funeral on 5 November drew large crowds, and his death was newsworthy in at least thirty two European newspapers. He was buried in Kraków's Rakowicki Cemetery.Bochnak (1975), p. 190

Significance, style and themes

He is counted among the most significant of Polish painters, and considered by many as "Poland's greatest history painter" or as "a cult figure for the nation at large... lreadyby the time of his death.". Wilhelm von Kaulbach and his "historical symbolism" style had a profound influence on Matejko. This aimed not so much at an exact representation of past events, but gave the artist freedom to interpret and opened the possibility to blend historical data within a chosen perspective. Matejko's technique in the Neoclassical genre has been praised for its "luminosity, detail and imagination". (PDF; 261 kB) He succeeded in propagating Polish history, and fostering the memory of an erstwhile historic state lost to the world, while his country remained carved up between three European powers which afforded its Polish natives no prospect of political

self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...

. His works, disseminated through thousands of reproductions, have become standard illustrations of the many key events in Polish history. His 1860 illustrated album, ''Ubiory w Polsce'' (Costume in Poland), is seen as a valuable historical reference.

Criticism and controversy

Critics of his work have pointed to his use of traditional, outdated or bombastic painting style, discrediting him for "antiquarian realism" and "theatrical effects". At exhibitions abroad, the nuanced historical context of his works was often lost on foreign audiences. Occasionally his paintings would cause controversy. For example, ''Rejtan'' offended a number of prominent members of the Polish nobility, who saw the painting as an indictment of their entire social class. His paintings were subject to censorship in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

planned to destroy both ''The Battle of Grunwald'' and ''The Prussian Homage'', which the authorities saw as an offence against the German view of history. They formed part of the very many Polish paintings and art which the Germans planned to destroy in their war on Polish culture, but the Polish resistance successfully hid both.

Awards

* Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur, 1870 for his ''

'' 1869 * Médaille d'or at the Salon de Paris in 1867 for '' Rejtan '' * Kunst-medaille 1873, Vienna * Membre de l' Académie des Beaux-Arts (1873) * Médaille d'honneur at the

Exposition Universelle (1878) The 1878 Universal Exposition (, ), also known as the 1878 Paris Exposition, 1878 World Fair, or 1878 World Expo, was a world's fair held in Paris, French Third Republic, France, from 1 May to 10 November 1878, to celebrate the recovery of Franc ...

* Commander's Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph * Commander's Cross of the Order of the Iron Crown * Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Pius IX * Gold Medal of the Munich Academy of Art * Papal Gold Medal of Leo XIII * Medal "Pro litteris et artibus", Vienna * Odznaka Honorowa za Dzieła Sztuki i Umiejętności, Poland (1887) *

Honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honor usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

of the cities of

, Lwów,

Przemyśl Przemyśl () is a city in southeastern Poland with 56,466 inhabitants, as of December 2023. Data for territorial unit 1862000. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship. It was previously the capital of Prz ...

Ivano-Frankivsk Ivano-Frankivsk (, ), formerly Stanyslaviv, Stanislav and Stanisławów, is a city in western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast as well as Ivano-Frankivsk Raion within the oblast. Ivano-Frankivsk also host ...

, Stryj and Brzezany * Doctor honoris causa of the

(1887) * Member of the Institut de France (1874), of the Berlin Academy of Arts (1874), of the Accademia Raffaello,

Urbino Urbino ( , ; Romagnol: ''Urbìn'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, southwest of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially und ...

(1878) and of the Wiener Kunstlergenossenschaft (1888).

Legacy

Matejko's aim was to focus on major themes in Polish history using historical sources to paint events in minute historical detail. His earliest paintings are purely historical depictions without didactic content. The later works, starting with '' Stańczyk'' (1862), are intended to inspire the viewer with a patriotic message. ''Stańczyk'' focuses on the court jester, portrayed as a symbol of his country's conscience, sitting in a chair, against the background of a party - a lonely figure reflecting on war, ignored by the joyful crowd.Wanda Małaszewska. "Matejko, Jan." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 May 2014, http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T055919 His paintings are on display in numerous Polish museums, including: the National Museum in Warsaw, National Museum in Kraków, National Museum in Poznań and National Museum in Wrocław. The National Museum, Kraków has a building entirely dedicated to Matejko - ''The Jan Matejko House'' (''Dom Jana Matejki''), occupying his former studio and family home in Floriańska Street and opened in 1898. Another museum dedicated to Matejko, is the '' Jan Matejko Manor House'' (Dworek Jana Matejki w Krzesławicach), in the village of Krzesławice, where Matejko had bought a small estate in 1865.Bochnak (1975), p. 191

As teacher and influencer

Over 80 painters were Matejko's students, many influenced during his tenure as director of the ''Kraków School of Fine Arts'', and are called members of the "Matejko School". Some went on to become members of the brief flowering of the Young Poland (''Młoda Polska'') movement, which encompassed literature, music, theatre as well as visual arts and was dissipated by

. Matejko has been dubbed "Father of Young Poland". Prominent among his students were: *

* Ephraim Moses Lilien * Jacek Malczewski * Helena Matejko, Matejko's daughter * Józef Mehoffer * Jozef Pankiewicz * Antoni Piotrowski * Witold Pruszkowski * Jan Styka * Włodzimierz Tetmajer * Józef Unierzyski, Matejko's son-in-law * Leon Wyczółkowski * Stanisław Wyspiański File:Treny normal.jpg, Jan Kochanowski over his dead daughter's body, 1862 File:Samuel Zborowski śmierć.jpg, Samuel Zborowski on his way to his execution File:Wladyslaw I Lokietek (76841156) (cropped).jpg, Wladyslaw I Lokietek from the Gallery of Polish Monarchs File:Konstytucja 3 Maja Sejm Czteroletni Komisja edukacyjna Rozbior.jpg, ''The Constitution of May 3. Four-Year Sejm. Educational Commission Partition. A.D. 1795'' Royal Castle File:Jan Matejko-Astronomer Copernicus-Conversation with God.jpg, '' Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God'', 1873. In the background: Frombork Cathedral File:Jan Matejko, ritratto di donna.jpg, Pen and ink drawing possibly of

Bona Sforza Bona Sforza (2 February 1494 – 19 November 1557) was Queen consort, Queen of Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569), Poland and List of Lithuanian consorts, Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the second wife of Sigismund the Old, and Duchess of Bari and ...

, 1861 File:Jan Matejko - Ociemniały Wit Stwosz z wnuczką.jpg, '' Blind Veit Stoss with granddaughter'' (1865), National Museum in Warsaw

Selected work

The following is a selected list of Matejko's works, in chronological order.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* *
JSTOR

External links

Works by Jan Matejko
chambroch.com

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061117081555/http://www.wawel.net/malarstwo/matejko.htm Matejko gallery wawel.net
Matejko gallery
malarze.com
Jan Matejko
culture.pl
"Clothing and Costumes..." From the Collection of Jan Matejko

"Artists from the School of Jan Matejko"

www.Jan-Matejko.org
A website dedicated to Matejko {{DEFAULTSORT:Matejko, Jan 1838 births 1893 deaths 19th-century Polish male artists 19th-century painters of historical subjects 19th-century Polish painters People from the Free City of Kraków Painters from Austria-Hungary 19th-century war artists Academic art Artists from Kraków Burials at Rakowicki Cemetery Deaths from peritonitis Equine artists Polish history painters Jagiellonian University alumni Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts alumni Academic staff of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts Jan Members of the Académie des beaux-arts Military art Polish Austro-Hungarians Polish male non-fiction writers Polish illustrators Polish male painters Polish people of Czech descent Polish Roman Catholics Polish war artists Polish portrait painters Recipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art Recipients of the Legion of Honour Polish recipients of the Legion of Honour