(self-portrait)
She was born in 1865 in Cracow. As a child, she was encouraged by her mother to draw. It turned out that Olga had an outstanding talent. When she grew up, she started to take part in different courses and lectures concerning art. She couldn't study on Academy of Fine Arts because at that time the women weren't admitted there. That's why at the age of 21 she moved to Munich. Thanks to her ambition, determination and hard work she managed to be ahead of her teachers. Then she decided to open her own studio. After that the first successes appeared: she made an exposition of her works in Warsaw and Berlin, next in Praha, Munich, London and Lviv. Boznańska was also honoured in many competitions. After these events she became famous in Europe. She even received a suggestion of teaching in Academy of Fine Arts (the same which hadn't allowed her to study). She didn't accept that offer and in the same year (1896) she exhibited her works in Paris for the first time. Two years later, Boznańska moved to Paris and she succeeded again. She obtained (inter alia):
- gold medal in New Gallery in London (1900)
- honourable mention on World's fair in Paris (1900)
- silver medal from Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, USA (1907)
- Grand Prix on World's fair in Paris (1937)
She also represented the french art in the USA with such artists like: P. Bonnard, M. Denis, X. Roussel, C. Monet, P. Signac.
I'm fascinated not only by the talent of Olga Boznańska but also by her ambition and determination because thanks to them she succeeded. I really appreciate her works, especially the portraits. Even she admitted that the portrait had been her favourite type of painting. Boznańska did it very well and what's more her technique was interesting, unique and the only one of its kind. But what I like the most about these portraits is that they show emotion and they are convincing in some way.
Olga Boznańska is still one of the most famous polish painters. Nowadays we can admire her works in Poland, France, Italy and USA.
As said Ignacy Witz (polish painter and draughtsman) she is considered "the greatest polish female painter and one of the greatest female painters in Europe. And there is not an excess".
(the girl with chrysanthemums, 1894)
(portrait of the woman (Gipsy), 1888)
(portrait of Henryk Sienkiewicz, 1913)
(the young woman with child, 1902)
