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 River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, 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. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

History

The Academy of Fine Arts (ASP) was originally a subdivision of the Jagiellonian University'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 Franciszek Ksawery Lampi, also known as Franz Xaver Lampi (22 January 1782 – 22 July 1852), was a Polish Romantic painter born in Austria of ethnic Italian background. He was associated with the aristocratic circle of the late Stanisław II Au ...

, a world-renowned landscape and portrait artist in Congress Poland whose most notable students there were

Wojciech Korneli Stattler Wojciech Korneli Stattler or Albert Kornel Stattler (April 20, 1800 – November 6, 1875) was a Polish Romantic painter of Swiss aristocratic ancestry, who started training in Vienna and at age 17 went to St. Luke's Academy in Rome. From 1831 he ...

(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, 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 at ...

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

Aleksander Gryglewski Aleksander Konstanty Gryglewski (4 March 1833, Brzostek – 28 July 1879, Gdańsk) was a Polish painter and art professor at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts. He is primarily known for his interior portraits of notable buildings throughout Pol ...

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 Władysław Łuszczkiewicz (September 3, 1828 – May 23, 1900) was a Polish historian and painter of the late Romantic era from Kraków, active in the period of the foreign partitions of Poland. He was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and ...

(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 Julian Fałat, (30 July 1853 in Tuligłowy near Lwów – 9 July 1929 in Bystra Śląska) was one of the most prolific Polish painters of watercolor and one of the country's foremost landscape painters as well as one of the leading Polish im ...

, 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 Teodor Axentowicz ( Armenian: Թեոդոր Աքսենտովիչ; 13 May 1859 in Brașov, Austrian Empire – 26 August 1938 in Kraków, Second Polish Republic) was a Polish- Armenian painter and university professor. A renowned artist of his times ...

, Jacek Malczewski (the father of Polish

Symbolism Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: Arts * Symbolism (arts), a 19th-century movement rejecting Realism ** Symbolist movement in Romania, symbolist literature and visual arts in Romania during the late 19th and early 20th centuries ** Russian sym ...

), Jan Stanisławski,

Leon Wyczółkowski Leon Jan Wyczółkowski (; 24 April 1852 – 27 December 1936) was one of the leading painters of the Young Poland movement, as well as the principal representative of Polish Realism in art of the Interbellum. From 1895 to 1911 he served as pro ...

Konstanty Laszczka Konstanty Laszczka (born 3 September 1865 in Makowiec Duży; died 23 March 1956 in Kraków) was a Polish sculptor, painter, graphic artist, as well as professor and rector of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. Laszczka became the ...

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 ...

among others. On the 100th anniversary of its founding, in 1979, the Academy was named for Jan Matejko, its founder and first president, who contributed greatly to its artistic legacy. In 2008 the Academy joined

Icograda The International Council of Design (ICoD; formerly known as ico-D, International Council of Communication Design or Icograda, which was formerly an initialism for International Council of Graphic Design Associations) is an international organisa ...

(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 *

* Władysław T. Benda * Tadeusz Brzozowski *

* Stanisław Frenkiel * Henryk Gotlib * Artur Grottger * 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 family ...

* Maria Jarema * Ewa Juszkiewicz *

Tadeusz Kantor Tadeusz Kantor (6 April 1915 – 8 December 1990) was a Polish painter, assemblage and Happenings artist, set designer and theatre director. Kantor is renowned for his revolutionary theatrical performances in Poland and abroad. Laureate of ...

* Carl Krull *

Ephraim Moses Lilien Ephraim Moses Lilien ( pl, Maurycy Lilien, ; 23 May 1874 – 18 July 1925) was an art nouveau illustrator and printmaker particularly noted for his art on Jewish themes. He is sometimes called the "first Zionist artist."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 Uni ...

* Jacek Malczewski * Anton Manastyrski * Jan Matejko *

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.; ; ; ; ; ; L ...

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 ...

* Abraham Neumann *

Jerzy Nowosielski Jerzy Nowosielski (January 7, 1923 – February 21, 2011) was a Kraków-born Polish painter, graphic artist, scenographer, and illustrator. He was well known for his religious compositions ( wall paintings, iconostases, polychromies) in th ...

* 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 *

Wilhelm Sasnal Wilhelm Sasnal (born December 29, 1972) is a Polish painter, photographer, poster artist, illustrator and filmmaker. Sasnal graduated in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków in 1999. He is considered one of the most prominent and int ...

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 Czesław Słania (22 October 1921 Czeladź; 17 March 2005 Kraków) was a Polish-born postage stamp and banknote engraver, living in Sweden from 1956. According to the ''Guinness Book of World Records'', Słania was the most skilled and prolif ...

Adam Studziński Fr. Adam Studziński (2 June 1911 – 2 April 2008) was a Polish Roman Catholic priest (of the Dominican Order). Studzinski served as chaplain of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. Biography Studziński was first ordain ...

Boguslaw Szwacz Bogusław Szwacz (born 27 March 1912 in Leżajsk, died 24 February 2009 in Warsaw) was a Polish-born artist, painter, sculptor, professor and lecturer at Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. Life and education Hailed as one of the most significan ...

* Zoja Trofimiuk * Petar Tiješić * Stanisław Tondos *

Ivan Trush Ivan Trush ( uk, Іван Труш, pronounced as ''Troosh'': 1869–1941) was a Ukrainian impressionist painter, a master of landscape and portraiture, an art critic, and active community patron of arts in Galicia or ''Halychyna'' - a historic ...

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 *

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 writer ...

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