Jan MATEJKO (1838-1893), Nicolaus Copernicus, 1876

Woodcut, paper; 34 x 46 cm (clear passe-partout);
Signed l. d.: "JM" (on panel, tied monogram)
and by the xylographer p. d.: J.STYFI.
Drawings on woodcut plates were personally made by Jan Matejko, engraved by the most prominent wood engravers of the time.
The graphics come from the "Album of Jan Matejko" published in 1876 by S. Leventhal, who wrote in the afterword: "The album included the most exquisite paintings of the master, made in recent times; with the exception of reproductions of Rejtan, Ivan the Terrible and the Bard of the Lyricist, reproduced most faithfully by Messrs. Maszyński and Witkiewicz, according to photographs taken from the originals, all other works were drawn on wood by Matejko himself " [...] the execution of each of such woodcuts as, for example. Stefan Batory, Sejm in Lublin , et al. required six months of time each, not counting the time used to draw them on wood [...].
Jan Styfi (1841-1921) - Warsaw wood engraver, one of the most distinguished Polish xylographers, creator and organizer of wood engraving workshops in Warsaw, educator.
Salomon (Franciszek Salezy) Lewental (1841-1902), Warsaw publisher and bookseller, founder of the weekly newspaper "Kłosy".