Polish painter Jan Matejko remembered on death anniversary

Officials and residents in the southern Polish city of Kraków have lit candles at the grave of the famous 19th-century painter Jan Matejko to mark the 130th anniversary of his death.

Jan Matejko's 'Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God'

Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Matejko died on November 1, 1893. His funeral ceremony was a major event in the city’s history.

🎨#OTD 130 years ago Jan #Matejko passed away, probably the most recognizable Polish #painter, patron of 2023, author of "The Battle of Grunwald", "The Sermon of Piotr Skarga" and "Rejtan".

🗺️If you are visiting #Krakow, we invite you to the @MNKrk for the "Matejko. The painter… pic.twitter.com/lUdCnXRe1S

— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) November 1, 2023

He was laid to rest at Kraków's historic Rakowicki Cemetery to the sound of the Sigismund Bell tolling from the tower of Wawel Cathedral.

This year also marks the 185th anniversary of Matejko’s birth.

Jan Matejko, one of the most outstanding Polish painters, was born #OTD 185 years ago in Kraków 🇵🇱.

Among other paintings, "Stańczyk" and "Battle of Grunwald" to this day inspire young artists. 🎨

Some of his astonishing artwork is exhibited at the @Muzeum_Narodowe. pic.twitter.com/eO8rgaQzxJ

— Poland.pl (@Poland) June 24, 2023

A native of Kraków, Matejko studied at the city’s School of Painting, as well as at the Fine Arts Academy in Vienna.

For two decades, he served as the director of a school that developed into the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts.

Matejko won recognition as an exponent of historical painting that shaped the consciousness of the Polish nation when it was under foreign rule during the partitions period.

One of his best-known canvases, entitled The Battle of Grunwald, depicts the famous medieval battle fought on July 15, 1410, in which allied Polish and Lithuanian forces, led by Polish King Wladysław Jagiełło, defeated the Knights of the Teutonic Order in what is considered to be one of the most glorious and significant military victories in Polish history.

In 2021, Matejko’s painting Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God generated a great deal of interest when it was shown at London's National Gallery.

(mk/gs)