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Mleczarka (Milkmaid) by Piotr Stachiewicz (Polish) - Pastel on paper / c. 1927 - National Museum in Lublin (Poland) #womeninart #art #pastelpainting #PolishArt #artwork #NationalMuseuminLublin #CastleLublin #PiotrStachiewicz #Stachiewicz #beauty #womensart #portraitofawoman #PolishWoman #Zośka #look
In much of the work of Piotr Stachiewicz there is a fascination with folklore which, like many Polish painters of his era, perpetuated the customs, rituals and colourfulness of peasant clothing on canvas. It was an expression of patriotic attitudes combined with a belief that Polish art can be revived thanks to its people and nature. Between 1877 and 1883, Piotr Stachiewicz studied at the Krakow School of Fine Arts and then at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. The artist was the author of historical and religious scenes, the most famous of which is the cycle “The Legend of Virgin Mary”. He also created a series of paintings based on novels of H. Sienkiewicz and the poetry of A. Mickiewicz as well as book illustrations. He was famous for his subtle depictions of women, often using the motif of a young beautiful milkmaid who was painted in a traditional Krakow attire, a colourful kerchief on her head, with milk cans carried on her back in a shawl. In this version of the painting at the National Museum in Lublin, Stachiewicz combined the lyrical sensitivity of a winter landscape with his typical tendency to idealize the title character and the decorative values of folk costumes. The artist's favourite model - Zofia Frontczakówna, who had been portrayed by him many times - posed for Mleczarka (The Milkmaid). Coming from a peasant family living in Dubnia near Krakow, she was famous for her extraordinary beauty, and for this reason she was called beautiful Zośka. Thanks to her mother's efforts, she had quickly gained popularity among Krakow's artists including W. Kossak and W. Wodzinowski. Not only did Zofia's exceptional beauty make her legendary, but also her tragic life. She is remembered in history due to a turbulent marriage with shoemaker Maciej Paluch. The toxic relationship full of conflict, aggressive behaviors, and jealousy led to Zofia's death in 1927 when she was murdered by her husband.
February 26, 2025 at 8:15 AM