Portrait of a Little Boy (1855)
Technique: Giclée quality print
Recommended by our customers
More about this artwork
"Portrait of a Little Boy" is a captivating work by the renowned Polish artist Jan Matejko, painted in 1855. This painting beautifully captures the innocence and contemplative expression of a young boy, demonstrating Matejko’s profound skill in portraiture, a cornerstone of his early artistic career before he ventured into the historical paintings for which he is best known.In the portrait, the boy's face dominates the canvas, with his large, introspective eyes drawing the viewer into a silent conversation. His delicate blond hair softly frames his face, highlighting his youthful purity. The attention to detail in the boy’s apparel is meticulous; he wears a richly embroidered shawl, adorned with intricate patterns and vibrant colors, which contrasts profoundly with the dark background, making the figure almost appear to emerge from the shadows.This piece is not only a testament to Matejko's ability to capture physical likeness but also his exceptional talent to convey the emotional and psychological depth of his subjects.
Delivery
Returns
Jan Alojzy Matejko 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 Rejtan (1866), the Union of Lublin (1869), the Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God (1873), or the Battle of Grunwald (1878). He was the author of numerous portraits, a gallery of Polish monarchs in book form, and murals 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.