Aleksander ŚWIESZEWSKI (1839-1895), Alpine Landscape

oil, canvas; 80 x 131 cm;
Signed l.d.: A. Swieszewski / Munchen 1878

REPRODUCED:
Polish painting in private collections, E. Charazińska, E. Micek-Broniarek, A. Tyczyńska, Warsaw 1995, pp. 38-39, il.

" [...] He was a pupil of the landscape painter Christian Breslauer and became interested in landscape probably under his influence. In 1863, like most of the youth of his generation, he took part in the January Uprising, and after its suppression he went to Munich, where he studied at the Academy until 1869. He quickly distinguished himself and attracted critical attention. His paintings were shown at exhibitions abroad and in Poland, often being awarded medals. He found inspiration and painting motifs during his frequent travels. After his studies, he traveled to France and Italy, where he "wandered in all directions with his painting instruments." After 1873, then permanently settled in Munich, he often went to paint in the open air in Switzerland and the Tyrol, and on several occasions to Poland, in the much visited and painted Tatra Mountains.
[...] He painted and finished his idealized landscapes in his studio, based on numerous nature studies and sketches that were props of memory. While in Italy, he painted views of coastlines, lakes and colorful gardens with ancient ruins (From the shores of Capri, The Old Bridge at Sorrento, Ruins at Campagna di Roma). He often painted the landscape of the plains, reminiscent of his native land. However, he was most attracted to mountain landscapes, and the composition of his mountain views was impressive. According to a contemporary critic, Swieszewski's landscapes, "imbued with poetic charm," had "the power of color" and often "a brilliantly executed sunset effect, one of the artist's favorites."
Swieszewski masterfully rendered the transparency of deep mountain lakes and the brilliance of a blue, sun-drenched sky. He often introduced staffage, and the costumes of the depicted characters acted as additional bright color accents. All these features are present in his theatrically designed monumental alpine landscape of 1878 on the shore of Lake Uri (next to Lake of the Four Cantons) with a distant view of the snow-covered Uri Rotstock."

A. Tyczynska, in Polish painting in private collections, E. Charazinska, E. Micek-Broniarek, A. Tyczynska, Warsaw 1995, pp. 38-39.