Portrait of the protector of art Maria Paruszewska, oil on canvas,
dimension. 90 x 65 cm, with frame 100 x 75 cm
sign. p.d.:Kazimierz Szmyt
1930s
Maria Paruszewska was born in Poznan in a landed gentry family of Kasper Kramarkiewicz and Ludwika née Godlewska. She married Sylwester Paruszewski[1]. Maria Paruszewska had four sons, Michał (b. 1885), Alfred (b. 1887), Jan (b. 1889) and Józef (b. 1895). She died in Poznan on May 22, 1937 and was buried in St. Adalbert's cemetery.
Education and cultural activities
In her hometown, she graduated from A. Danyszówna's boarding school and began studying at the Dresden Conservatory, where Professor Grandi taught her music and Professor Lamperti taught her singing, and with Professors Jerich and Dolk-Herzog she learned French and German literature. She sang briefly, and her Poznań home was an active center of cultural life, especially music and literature, even before World War I. Numerous artists associated with her salon included: Feliks Nowowiejski[2], Ludomir Różycki, Olga Boznańska, Cezary Jellenta. She provided ad hoc material assistance to artistic youth, and during the war period conducted charitable activities. Since the early years of the twentieth century, she published in "Labor", " Kurier Poznański", " Życie", "Literatura i Sztuki", " Dziennik Poznański", "Postęp", "Biesiada", "Gońca Wielkopolski", "Tygodnik Polski" (New York), "Salon Literacki" and others (e.g. "Kronika Piotrkowska")[3]numerous original poems, as well as literary and biographical sketches. She was a popularizer of musical culture and posted numerous reports and reviews of operas, symphony concerts, chamber music evenings, musical recitals and theatrical performances. In Chicago, she was a correspondent for the Musical Echo. The 1891 townhouse she owned still exists[4].
