Pastel on paper, signed and dated in the lower left: “Kaz. Wł. Wasilkowski 1913”.
Dimensions with frame: 60x50 cm (45x35 cm)
Kazimierz Władysław Wasilkowski (Lublin 1860–1934 Warsaw) began his painting studies at the Drawing Class in Warsaw, where he studied from 1880 to 1882 under the guidance of W. Gerson and A. Kamiński. He continued his studies in painting from 1883 to 1884 at the Kraków School of Fine Arts under W. Łuszczkiewicz and F. Cynk. He likely also benefited from the guidance of J. Matejko during that time. After receiving a scholarship from the Kingdom of Poland, he studied at the St. Petersburg Academy from 1884 to 1891, where he was awarded three small silver medals and one large silver medal for his paintings, as well as a prize for composition. From 1892 onward, he lived in Warsaw. Two years later, he set out from there on an artistic journey through Europe. During that time, he visited France, Italy, and Germany. He was a member of the Warsaw Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts, in whose building he regularly exhibited his works from 1893 to 1914. In addition, he exhibited his paintings at the Krywult Salon in Warsaw and at Kulikowski’s galleries in Vilnius, Lviv, and St. Petersburg. In 1900, at the World’s Fair in Paris, he received a gold medal for his painting *Desires*. He primarily painted beautiful, graceful, sensual women against a backdrop of decorative fabrics, in opulent interiors, or in natural settings.
