Henryk Rodakowski - painter of masterpieces

Henryk Rodakowski (1823-1894), “painter of masterpieces”, one of the greatest Polish artists of the 19th century, achieved mastery and public recognition in the field of portraiture. These extraordinary images, which still inspire admiration and interest today, are characterized by simplicity, naturalness, capturing likeness and perfect execution. Rodakowski is also the first Polish painter to achieve spectacular success in Paris, then the capital of cultural art.

He came from a wealthy family of Lviv lawyer Pavel Rodakovsky, so in accordance with his father’s wishes he took up law studies in Vienna in 1841. At the same time, he developed his early revealed artistic interests, attending Joseph Danhauser’s private studio.

After leaving for Paris in 1846, he joined the atelier of Léon Cogniet, a painter held in high esteem by Polish émigrés. The artist also entered the circle of the émigré community centered around the Hôtel Lambert; he met Norwid and Lenartowicz, became friends with Juliusz Kossak, and came into contact with Artur Grottger. In 1850 he lived in Lviv, where he had his own painting studio in Lviv. He changed his place of residence many times, traveling around Europe. In 1893 he moved to Krakow. After the death of Jan Matejko, he was elected director of the Society of Friends of Fine Arts and chairman of the National Museum Committee in 1894; just before his sudden death, he took over as director of the School of Fine Arts

Rodakowski presented his works mainly at the Paris Salons, where he achieved spectacular success. He gained great fame for his magnificent portraits. For his Portrait of General Dembinski, he received a gold medal in 1852; and the Portrait of his mother, painted by him in 1853, received the admiration of the public and critical acclaim. He received many prestigious awards for his work. At the Paris World Exposition in 1855, he was awarded a gold medal; in 1861 he was awarded the Legion of Honor, and in 1872 the Order of King Leopold. In 1873 he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph.

He exhibited his paintings at the Universal Art Exhibition in Vienna (1873), the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in Warsaw (1875), the World Exhibition in Paris (1878), the First General Exhibition of Polish Art in Cracow (1887) and the General National Exhibition in Lviv (1894). In 1873, the first individual show of his works was held in Lviv. A summary of the artist’s work was brought by a monographic exhibition organized at the National Museum in Cracow in 1994.

The exhibition “Henryk Rodakowski – painter of masterpieces” prepared by the Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola, on the 120th anniversary of the Artist’s death, presents works – oil paintings, watercolors and drawings – perfectly illustrating his work, both masterpieces of portrait art and workshop, a few landscapes and genre scenes. A unique work in the exhibition is the beautiful Portrait of a Girl with a Fan, from a private collection, recently discovered and on public display for the first time.

Rodakowski’s works are shown very rarely, as they are an important part of permanent national exhibitions, so the exhibition in Stalowa Wola provides a unique opportunity to interact with works at the highest European level. 

The exhibition in Stalowa Wola exhibits works from many Polish museums and private collections.

Curator of the exhibition: Anna Król

Coordinator on behalf of the Museum: Elżbieta Skromak