Cyprian Godebski (30 October 1835 – 25 November 1909) was a Polish sculptor known in the Russian Empire and Paris. From 1870 he was a professor at the

Imperial Academy of Arts The Imperial Academy of Arts, informally known as the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, was an art academy in Saint Petersburg, founded in 1757 by Ivan Shuvalov, the founder of the Imperial Moscow University, under the name ''Academy of th ...

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. He was the grandson of Polish poet and novelist Cyprian Godebski, creator of the "Legions poetry"

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

, who had served in Napoleon's Polish Legions. Piotr Szubert,

Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw () is a public university of visual arts and applied arts located in the Polish capital. The academy traces its history back to the Department of Arts founded at the Warsaw University in the Duchy of Warsaw in 18 ...

"Cyprian Godebski biography"
Instytut Adama Mickiewicza ''(Adam Mickiewicz Institute)'', February 2002 Cyprian Godebski is remembered for having won the contest for the Adam Mickiewicz Monument 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 ...

. But he lost that

commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

to a newcomer,

Teodor Rygier Teodor Rygier (9 October 1841, Warsaw – 18 December 1913, Rome) was a Polish sculptor known especially for his Adam Mickiewicz Monument, Kraków, Adam Mickiewicz Monument (1898) in Kraków, Poland. He was selected in the major competition by po ...

, whose more popular design was ultimately adopted by the city in 1889.Adam Mickiewicz Monument
at the City's official website, ACK Cyfronet AGH, 2009. Godebski, however, was commissioned for his equally revered Mickiewicz monument in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, erected 10 years later on ''

Krakowskie Przedmieście Krakowskie Przedmieście (Polish) (, ) is one of the best known streets of Poland's capital Warsaw, surrounded by historic palaces, churches and manor-houses. It constitutes the northernmost part of Warsaw's Royal Route, and links the Old Town ...

'', for which he was awarded 50,000

ruble The ruble or rouble (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is a currency unit. Currently, currencies named ''ruble'' in circulation include the Russian ruble (RUB, ₽) in Russia and the Belarusian ruble (BYN, Rbl) in Belarus. These currencies are s ...

s by the committee to Erect the Adam Mickiewicz Monument (''Społeczny Komitet Budowy Pomnika''). The Warsaw statue was destroyed by German

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

in 1942 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It was recreated in 1955 using the head and a fragment of the torso recovered in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

Biography

Godebski received his art education at the Paris studio of sculptor

François Jouffroy François Jouffroy (; 1 February 1806 – 25 June 1882) was a French sculptor. Biography Jouffroy was born in Dijon, France, the son of a baker, and attended the local drawing school before being admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in ...

. He lived and worked in

Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

from 1858 and in 1861 moved to

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. ...

, where he worked on commissions from the Imperial court of

Austro-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. In 1863 Godebski moved to Paris again, and lived alternately in France and in Belgium. In 1870 he accepted the nomination for the professorship at the Imperial Russian Academy of Arts and moved to St. Petersburg for several years. He lived in

in 1870 and 1875. Godebski married Zofia Servais, Russian-Belgian daughter of renowned Belgian cellist

Adrien-François Servais Adrien-François Servais (6 June 180726 November 1866) was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in what is now Halle, Belgium. He is one of the founders of the Modern Cellistic Schools of Paris and ...

(1807-1866) and his wife. He and Zofia had a daughter, Maria Zofia Godebska, known by the diminutive Misia, but the mother died shortly after her birth in 1872. Godebski sent the infant girl to his late wife's family in

Halle, Belgium Halle (; , ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the Halle-Vilvoorde district (''arrondissement'') of the province of Flemish Brabant. It is located on the Brussels–Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separa ...

to be raised for several years. Godebski married again after Zofia's death, to sculptor Matylda Rosen. (He later remarried again.) While they were living in Warsaw in 1875, they ran an artistic salon for the local elite. Following his return to Paris, Godebski organized a new popular artistic and literary salon.

Honors

In 1877, he was nominated as a member of the French National Academy. In 1889 Godebski received the medal and title of the

Chevalier of the Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

. From 1897 he was the first president of the Artistic and Literary Club of Paris.

Legacy

After several years, Godebski had reclaimed his daughter Misia and brought her to Paris, where she was educated at Sacre Coeur, a convent boarding school. Among her teachers was

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. ...

, who taught piano. When she first left home she supported herself by giving piano lessons to students he referred to her. Starting as a pianist in Paris, and later known as

Misia Sert Misia Sert (born Maria Zofia Olga Zenajda Godebska; 30 March 1872 – 15 October 1950) was known primarily as a patron of contemporary artists and musicians during the decades she hosted salons in her homes in Paris. Born in the Russian Empire and ...

, she hosted artistic salons for decades. (She was married three times.) Misia was a muse to Toulouse Lautrec and others, and had considerable influence within early 20th-century Parisian artistic circles. Review of the book ''Misia and the Muses'' by John Day. Misia (Godebska) Sert became a friend of

Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust ( ; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, literary critic, and essayist who wrote the novel (in French language, French – translated in English as ''Remembrance of Things Pas ...

, poet Mallarmé, and artist painters such as

Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

and Renoir, as well as musicians.

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

dedicated several compositions to her. Sert was the business partner and best friend of Serge de Diaghilev, impresario of the influential

Ballets Russes The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Russian Revolution, Revolution ...

. A collection on Godebski's life and work is held by the

South-West Brabant Museum The South-West Brabant Museum (Dutch: ''Zuidwestbrabants Museum'') is a local museum in Halle, Belgium, Halle, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. From 1981, the museum was housed in a former college of Society of Jesus, Jesuits from the 17th century. After ...

, the longtime home of his father-in-law Servais.Openbaar Kunstbezit Vlaanderen
Zuidwestbrabants Museum

Works

* Bust of

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...

, Paris (1865). * Monument to Independence in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, Peru, (1856–1859) * Adam Mickiewicz Monument in

(1898) *

Allegories As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory throughou ...

and grave

statues A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size. A sculpture ...

in Paris, France, to

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

and

Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...

and Père-Lachaise, respectively * Statue to

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 partitions of Poland, despite a life cut short by incurable illness. B ...

Lwow Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

* Monument to

Aleksander Fredro Aleksander Fredro (20 June 1793 – 15 July 1876) was a Polish poet, playwright and Polish authors, author active during Romanticism in Poland, Polish Romanticism in the Partitions of Poland, period of partitions by neighboring empires. His works ...

in front of Słowacki Theatre in

Kraków Old Town Kraków Old Town is the historic central area of Kraków, Poland.Ingrid GustafsonLet's Go: Eastern Europe Published by Macmillan, page 444. Let's Go Publications, 2008. It is one of the most famous old areas in Poland today and was the centre ...

near Planty Park * Monument to astronomer

Nicolaus Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a mathematical model, model of Celestial spheres#Renaissance, the universe that placed heliocentrism, the Sun rather than Earth at its cen ...

at the '' Collegium Novum'', Kraków University * ''Genius and Brute Force'' (1888) white marble, 2.6 m, state commission,

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

Musée d'art and Musée Sainte-Croix in

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

, France File:Pomnik Adama Mickiewicza w Warszawie 2019c.jpg, Godebski's Adam Mickiewicz Monument,

File:Our Lady of the Shipwrecked.jpg, Our Lady of the Shipwrecked (Cyprian Godebski) -

Pointe du Raz The Pointe du Raz is a promontory that extends into the Atlantic from western Brittany, in France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territori ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

File:Père-Lachaise - Division 11 - Galezowski Tamberlick 02.jpg, Angel by Cyprian Godebski on Galezowski and Tamberlick families' tomb,

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

File:Kraków - Pomnik Mikołaja Kopernika 02.JPG, Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in Kraków

Notes

References

Maciej Masłowski Maciej Masłowski (January 24, 1901 – August 17, 1976) was a Polish Art history, art historian. Biography Masłowski was born in Warsaw. He was a son of painter Stanisław Masłowski (1853–1926) and piano teacher Aniela born Ponikowska (1864 ...

: Cyprian Godebski – Listy o sztuce – opracowanie krytyczne, wstęp i komentarze (Cyprian Godebski – Letters of Art – A Critical Analysis, Introduction and Comments), Kraków 1970, ed. Wydawnictwo Literackie (Literary Press).

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Godebski, Cyprian 19th-century Polish sculptors Polish male sculptors Sculptors from the Russian Empire 1835 births 1909 deaths Knights of the Legion of Honour People from Cher (department) Polish expatriates in Russia Polish expatriates in France Academic staff of the Imperial Academy of Arts Artists awarded knighthoods