Artwork

Portrait of Aleksander Płonczyński

Portrait of Aleksander Płonczyński, by Jan Nepomucen Głowacki, unspecified, 1846
Portrait of Aleksander Płonczyński, by Jan Nepomucen Głowacki, unspecified, 1846

Portrait of Aleksander Płonczyński is an unspecified painting by the Biedermeier artist Jan Nepomucen Głowacki. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Kraków.

About this work

Overview

This two-sided painting, created by Jan Nepomucen Głowacki in 1846, features a portrait on one side and a study for a full-length portrait on the other. The work is characteristic of the Biedermeier style, known for its detailed and polished execution.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait depicts Aleksander Płonczyński, a man with dark hair, lost in thought. His downward-cast eyes and calm expression evoke a sense of quiet contemplation, drawing the viewer into his introspective world.

Technique & Style

Głowacki's training in various European cities is reflected in the painting's refined technique and attention to detail. The Biedermeier style's emphasis on intimacy and polish is evident in the subject's finely rendered features and the overall subtlety of the work.

History & Provenance

The painting is now part of the National Museum in Kraków's collection. Głowacki, who later taught landscape painting at the Kraków School of Fine Arts, created this work during his mature period, having been trained in Kraków, Prague, Vienna, Rome, and Munich.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Jan Nepomucen Głowacki

Artist

Jan Nepomucen Głowacki

Jan Nepomucen Głowacki (1802 – July 28, 1847) was a Polish realist painter of the Romantic era, regarded as the most outstanding landscape painter of the early 19th century in Poland under the foreign partitions.