Jan Chełminski, THE TRANSFORMER

20,7 x 27,0 cm - oil, mahogany board

Signed l.d.: Jan Chelminski

On the reverse, centrally, oval stamp of the company with painting materials: Adrian Brugger | München | Theatineerstrasse[.]; also notes (in pencil) p.g.: Baron Hertling; under the stamp (opposite the composition): N[.]by | P. PW; l.g. Agra-Art auction sticker from 2013.

Jan Chelminski (Brzustow near Opoczno 1851 - New York 1925) a popular painter from the circle of "Polish Munich painters," began his education with Juliusz Kossak, and then studied at the Warsaw Drawing Class and in Munich - at the Academy under Alexander Strähuber and Alexander Wagner (1873-1875) and the private studios of Jozef Brandt (1875) and the battle painter Franz Adam (1876). After his studies he was already permanently abroad - in Munich, London (years 1882, 1888-1899), Paris (1899), traveled to St. Petersburg (1889) and New York (1884), where he later settled permanently around 1915. However, he did not break contacts with the country, and often sent his works to Warsaw exhibitions. His paintings enjoyed great success. He painted mainly military and battle scenes, most often from the times of the Duchy of Warsaw and the Napoleonic Wars, as well as genre paintings and hunting episodes. He was involved in book illustration; among other things, he illustrated a volume of hunting stories by Theodore Roosevelt. He was a collector of old weapons and an outstanding expert on soldier uniforms. Many of the artist's paintings are still abroad - in England, Germany or the United States. Few of them appear in antiquarian sales, constantly arousing keen interest among collectors.