Odo DOBROWOLSKI [1883-1917], Paris by night, ca. 1912.

Odo DOBROWOLSKI [1883-1917] an outstandingly talented, underrated Lviv painter. He began his artistic studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, probably as a free student. In 1908-1910 he stayed in Paris, under the tutelage of Jan Styka. From there he moved briefly to Munich. After returning to the country, he settled in Lviv. There he made a large decorative painting in oil technique for the interior of G. Zapolska's patisserie " Dworek" in Lviv, depicting the city court. In 1912 he took part in an exhibition of sketches of the Lviv literary and artistic circle. In 1914 he published a series of color autolithographs "Lviv", containing views of the city. In June 1915, he left for Russia.

He left behind a considerable number of works, primarily small-scale watercolors, gouaches, pastels, and ink sketches. These are mainly landscapes with architectural motifs, very atmospheric, often with symbolic meaning. Such include works from the period of his stay in Paris, such as: St. Chapelle, Notre Dame, Eifflea Tower. Dobrowolski's works can be found in the collections of the National Museum in Cracow, the Jewish Historical Institute in W-wa, the National Library in W-wa and the Lviv Picture Gallery, among others.