Jerzy KOSSAK (1886–1955), "THE RETREAT FROM MOSCOW," 1937

oil on cardboard, 30 x 40 cm, signed lower right: Jerzy Kossak 1937. On the reverse, a stamp by Jerzy Kossak featuring the Kossak family coat of arms and the number 905, as well as the artist’s stamp certifying authenticity.

Jerzy KOSSAK ( 1886–1955)
He came from an artistic family in Kraków. He was the son of Wojciech Kossak, the grandson of Juliusz, and the brother of Magdalena Samozwaniec and Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska. Even as a child, he showed great artistic talent, taking drawing and painting lessons in his grandfather’s and father’s studios. However, he never enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts. The painter’s first solo exhibition was held at the Society of Fine Arts in 1910, where he presented a series of works on the Napoleonic era, which was very well received and highly praised by critics. Although Wojciech Kossak had high hopes for him, Jerzy never developed his own individual style, instead replicating the themes his father had established. During the difficult postwar years, this approach provided him with financial stability, but it had a negative impact on his creative development. In addition to cavalry and war themes, he also painted folkloric scenes, hunting scenes, and portraits. He became highly skilled at depicting horses and riders. He was extremely popular among Kraków’s wealthy bourgeoisie.