The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków ( pl, Akademia Sztuk Pięknych im. Jana Matejki w Krakowie, usually abbreviated to ''ASP''), is a public

institution of higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completio ...

located in the centre of

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...

, Poland. It is the oldest Polish

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

academy, established in 1818 and granted full autonomy in 1873. ASP is a state-run university that offers 5- and 6-year

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

programmes. As of 2007, the Academy's faculty comprised 94 professors and assistant professors as well as 147 Ph.D.s.

History

The Academy of Fine Arts (ASP) was originally a subdivision of the

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University ( Polish: ''Uniwersytet Jagielloński'', UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and the 13th oldest university in ...

's Department of Literature and was initially (1818–1873) called the School of Drawing and Painting (''Szkoła Rysunku i Malarstwa''). Among its original teachers were Polish Neoclassicist Antoni Brodowski, and Franciszek Ksawery Lampi, a world-renowned landscape and portrait artist in

Congress Poland Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. I ...

whose most notable students there were Wojciech Korneli Stattler (a teacher of Jan Matejko) and

Piotr Michałowski Piotr Michałowski (July 2, 1800 – June 9, 1855) was a Polish painter of the Romantic period, especially known for his many portraits, and oil studies of horses. Broadly educated, he was also a social activist, legal advocate, city administr ...

, equestrian master artist of the

Romantic period Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. ASP received the status of an independent institution of higher learning in 1873 as the School of Fine Arts (''Szkoła Sztuk Pięknych''). The first President of the Academy was painter

Jan Matejko 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 ...

, who brought in other leading artists as professors including

Jan Nepomucen Głowacki Jan Nepomucen Głowacki (1802 – July 28, 1847) was a Polish realist painter of the Romantic era, regarded as the most outstanding landscape painter of the early 19th century in Poland under the foreign partitions. Głowacki studied painting ...

, the most outstanding landscape painter of the early 19th century in Poland, as well as

Florian Cynk Florian Stanisław Cynk (3 May 1838 – 10 October 1912) was a Polish painter, notably of religious subjects, and a prominent art teacher. He also worked as an illustrator. Biography He was born in Kraków and began his studies at the Academy ...

, Aleksander Gryglewski and

Leopold Loeffler Leopold Loeffler, also spelled Löffler, (October 27, 1827 – February 6, 1898), was a Polish realist painter of the late Romantic period popular in the second half of the 19th century under the foreign partitions of Poland. Lithographic re ...

, member of the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. The main building based on a neoclassical design by architect Maciej Moraczewski was erected in today's Matejko Square in 1879. In 1893–95 its principal was a broadly educated Władysław Łuszczkiewicz (another teacher of Jan Matejko and later, his close associate) who also served as conservator of architectural monuments in the city. Following the death of Jan Matejko in 1893, the next ASP President elected in 1895 was Julian Fałat, who remained at his post until 1909. Fałat gave the Academy a new direction by hiring new art instructors associated with contemporary Western art approaches and associated painters such as Teodor Axentowicz,

Jacek Malczewski Jacek Malczewski (; 15 July 1854 – 8 October 1929) was a Polish symbolist painter who is one of the most revered painters of Poland, associated with the patriotic Young Poland movement following a century of Partitions. He is regarded as the ...

(the father of Polish Symbolism), Jan Stanisławski, Leon Wyczółkowski, Konstanty Laszczka,

Józef Mehoffer Józef Mehoffer (19 March 1869 – 8 July 1946) was a Polish painter and decorative artist, one of the leading artists of the Young Poland movement and one of the most revered Polish artists of his time. Life Mehoffer was born in Ropczyce, ...

Stanisław Wyspiański Stanisław Mateusz Ignacy Wyspiański (; 15 January 1869 – 28 November 1907) was a Polish playwright, painter and poet, as well as interior and furniture designer. A patriotic writer, he created a series of symbolic, national dramas withi ...

(one of first in Europe to work in all genres),

Wojciech Weiss Wojciech Weiss (4 May 1875 – 7 December 1950) was a prominent Polish painter and draughtsman of the Young Poland movement. Weiss was born in Bukovina to a Polish family in exile of Stanisław Weiss and Maria Kopaczyńska. He gave up mus ...

, and

Józef Pankiewicz Józef Pankiewicz (29 November 1866, in Lublin – 4 July 1940, in La Ciotat) was a Polish impressionist painter, graphic artist and teacher who spent much of his career in France. Biography From 1884 to 1885, he studied at the School of Fine Ar ...

among others. On the 100th anniversary of its founding, in 1979, the Academy was named for

, its founder and first president, who contributed greatly to its artistic legacy. In 2008 the Academy joined Icograda (the International Council of Graphic Design Associations) and became that organization's first educational member in Poland.

Rectors

The School of Fine Arts (director) * 1873–1893: Jan Matejko * 1893–1895: Władysław Łuszczkiewicz (acting rector) * 1895–1900: Julian Fałat The Jan Matejko Acadmy of Fine Arts in Kraków (rector) * 1900–1909: Julian Fałat (till 1905 director of The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts) * 1909–1910: Leon Wyczółkowski * 1910–1911: Teodor Axentowicz * 1911–1912: Konstanty Laszczka * 1912–1914: Jacek Malczewski * 1914–1918: Józef Mehoffer * 1918–1919: Wojciech Weiss * 1919–1922: Józef Gałęzowski * 1922–1927: Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz * 1927–1928: Teodor Axentowicz * 1928–1929: Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz * 1929–1931: Konstanty Laszczka * 1931–1932: Fryderyk Pautsch * 1932–1933: Józef Mehoffer * 1933–1936: Wojciech Weiss * 1936–1939: Fryderyk Pautsch * 1945–1949: Eugeniusz Eibisch (till 1947 active rector) * 1949–1950: Zbigniew Pronaszko * 1950–1951: Zygmunt Radnicki * 1951–1952: Konrad Srzednicki * 1952–1954: Mieczysław Wejman * 1954–1967: Czesław Rzepiński * 1967–1972: Mieczysław Wejman * 1972–1980: Marian Konieczny * 1980–1987: Włodzimierz Kunz * 1987–1993: Jan Szancenbach * 1993–1996: Włodzimierz Kunz * 1996–2002: Stanisław Rodziński * 2002–2008: Jan Pamuła * 2008–2012: Adam Wsiołkowski * 2012–2020: Stanisław Tabisz since 2020: Andrzej Bednarczyk

Strategy (2021-2030)

The mission of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków is to practice creativity in the fields of art, design, and conservation, as well as transferring knowledge and creative competences, spreading culture, and taking care of heritage. The most important objective is to create conditions for the development of the entire academic community and the well-being of the society at large. Objectives and development areas The Academy focuses on CREATIVITY – we aspire to be a creative work environment that supports the university community in their professional, artistic and scientific development. The Academy bolsters EDUCATION – we strive to ensure that the educational process and the organization of work adapt to the variety of needs and new phenomena. The Academy develops RELATIONS – the Academy of Fine Arts will create a space conducive to meetings and exchanges. The Academy nurtures its LEGACY – the Academy of Fine Arts will collect and disseminate its achievements.

Faculties

* Faculty of Painting **Department of Painting **Department of Drawing **Department of Additional Specializations **Department of Stage Design * Faculty of Sculpture **Department of Sculpture (I, II) **Department of Drawing **Department of Architecture-Sculpture Design * Faculty of Interior Design * Faculty of Intermedia * Faculty of Industrial Design **Department of Visual Communication **Department of Product Design * Faculty of Graphic Arts **Department of Graphic Arts **Department of Graphic Design **Department of Drawing and Painting * Faculty of Art Conservation * Interdisciplinary Department of Art History

Notable faculty members

* Miłosz Horodyski

Notable graduates

* Bronislaw Abramowicz * Teodor Axentowicz *

Władysław T. Benda Władysław Teodor "W.T." Benda (15 January 1873 – 30 November 1948) was a Polish painter, illustrator, and designer. Early life The son of musician Jan Szymon Benda, and a nephew of the actress Helena Modrzejewska (known in the United State ...

* Tadeusz Brzozowski * Julian Fałat * Stanisław Frenkiel *

Henryk Gotlib Henryk Gotlib (10 January 1890 – 30 December 1966) was a Polish painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and writer, who settled in England during World War II and made a significant contribution to modern British art. He was profoundly influenced b ...

Artur Grottger Artur Grottger (11 November 1837 – 13 December 1867) was a Polish Romantic painter and graphic artist, one of the most prominent artists of the mid 19th century under the foreign partitions of Poland, despite a life cut short by incurable ill ...

* Zbylut Grzywacz *

Wojciech Jerzy Has Wojciech Jerzy Has (1 April 1925, Kraków – 3 October 2000, Łódź) was a Polish film director, screenwriter and film producer. Early life and studies Wojciech Jerzy Has was born in Kraków. Has himself was agnostic. However, his fam ...

Maria Jarema Maria Jarema (24 November 1908 – 1 November 1958) was a Polish painter, sculptor, scenographer and actress. Life and career She was born on 24 November 1908 in Staryi Sambir (Polish: ) in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria (currently Ukra ...

* Ewa Juszkiewicz * Tadeusz Kantor * Carl Krull * Ephraim Moses Lilien *

Tadeusz Makowski Tadeusz Makowski (29 January 1882, Oświęcim - 1 November 1932, Paris) was a Polish painter who worked in France and was associated with the School of Paris. Biography From 1902 to 1906, he studied classical philology at the Jagiellonian Univ ...

* Anton Manastyrski *

Henryk Minkiewicz Henryk Minkiewicz (19 January 1880 – 9 April 1940) was a Polish socialist politician and a general of the Polish Army. Former commander of the Border Defence Corps, he was among the Polish officers murdered in the Katyń massacre.; ; ; ; ; ; ...

Igor Mitoraj Igor Mitoraj (Polish pronunciation: ; 26 March 1944 – 6 October 2014) was a Polish artist and sculptor. Known for his fragmented sculptures of the human body often created for large-scale public installations, he is considered one of the most i ...

* Abraham Neumann * Jerzy Nowosielski * Roman Petrović *

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...

* Stanislaw Przespolewski *

Heinrich Rauchinger Heinrich Rauchinger (1858–1942) was a Kraków-born history painter and portrait painter. Life Rauchinger was born . During the years 1878-1879 he studied at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków under Jan Matejko and afterwards at ...

Tadeusz Rychter Tadeusz Rychter (c. 1873 in Lviv – 1943 in Warsaw) was a Polish early twentieth-century artist best remembered for his watercolors of the Holy Land.

* Wilhelm Sasnal *

Edward Rydz-Śmigły Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941; nom de guerre ''Śmigły, Tarłowski, Adam Zawisza''), also called Edward Śmigły-Rydz, was a Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland and Commander-in-Chief of Poland ...

* Czesław Słania * Adam Studziński * Boguslaw Szwacz * Zoja Trofimiuk * Petar Tiješić *

Stanisław Tondos Stanisław Tondos (10 March 1854 – 22 December 1917) was a Polish landscape painter and architectural painter. Life Tondos was born on in Kraków. He studied during the years 1869–1875 at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts with Jan Mat ...

* Ivan Trush *

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...

Andrzej Wróblewski Andrzej Wróblewski (15 June 1927 - 23 March 1957) was a Polish figurative painter who died in a mountaineering accident in 1957 when he was only 29. He is recognized by many as one of Poland's most prominent artists in the early post World War ...

* Leon Wyczółkowski *

Mariusz Zaruski Mariusz Zaruski (18 January 1867 – 8 April 1941) was a brigadier-general in the Polish Army, a pioneer of Polish sports yachting, an outstanding climber of the winter and caves of Tatra Mountains. He was a photographer, painter, poet and write ...

References

External links

Official website

Universities of Krakow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jan Matejko Academy Of Fine Arts Educational institutions established in 1818 Universities and colleges in Kraków Arts organizations established in the 1810s 1818 establishments in Poland