Who painted Portrait of a woman – Mrs. Zarewicz (?)?

Portrait of a woman – Mrs. Zarewicz (?) was painted by Franciszek Żmurko in 1890.

Where can I see Portrait of a woman – Mrs. Zarewicz (?)?

Portrait of a woman – Mrs. Zarewicz (?) is held by National Museum in Warsaw.

What movement is Portrait of a woman – Mrs. Zarewicz (?)?

Portrait of a woman – Mrs. Zarewicz (?) is associated with Realism.

Artwork

Portrait of a woman – Mrs. Zarewicz (?)

Franciszek Żmurko , 1890

Portrait of a woman – Mrs. Zarewicz (?) is an oil painting by the Realist artist Franciszek Żmurko. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.

About this work

The artist's use of dark colors and subtle lighting creates a sense of depth and dimensionality in the painting.

The painting depicts a woman with white hair, dressed in a dark-colored jacket or dress. She wears a pair of dangling earrings and has a neutral expression on her face. The background of the painting is a mix of dark and light brown colors.

The woman's attire and hairstyle suggest that the painting was created in the 19th century. The artist's use of dark colors and subtle lighting creates a sense of depth and dimensionality in the painting.

This painting is reminiscent of the works of Franciszek Żmurko, who was known for his portraits of women.

Overview

Franciszek Żmurko’s oil painting dated 1890 portrays a solitary woman, rendered in a realist style. The canvas is part of the National Museum in Warsaw’s holdings, reflecting the artist’s focus on detailed portraiture during the late nineteenth century.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter, identified tentatively as Mrs. Zarewicz, appears with white hair and a dark garment, her expression neutral and composed. The simplicity of her pose and the restrained demeanor suggest an emphasis on personal character rather than narrative storytelling.

Technique & Style

Żmurko employs a limited palette of dark and light browns, using subtle gradations of light to model the figure’s features and create a sense of three‑dimensionality. The delicate rendering of the dangling earrings and the smooth texture of the hair exemplify his meticulous realist technique.

History & Provenance

Created after Żmurko’s studies in Kraków, Vienna, Munich and St. Petersburg, the work entered the National Museum in Warsaw, where it remains in the permanent collection. Its attribution to the artist is based on stylistic parallels with his other female portraits.

Context

The portrait aligns with the broader nineteenth‑century European tradition of intimate, single‑figure portraiture, where middle‑class subjects were often depicted in modest attire. Żmurko’s Polish background and academic training inform the work’s compositional restraint and attention to detail.