Czesław Borys JANKOWSKI (1862–1941), Preparation for First Holy Communion (155)

Czesław Borys JANKOWSKI (1862–1941), Preparing for First Holy Communion

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right: "JANKOWSKI". Dimensions: 38.5 x 32 cm, frame 49.5 x 43 cm. Loss of paint and damage to the canvas in two places (oval: approx. 0.5 x 1 cm and V-shaped: approx. 1 x 1.5 cm).

Czesław Borys Jankowski (Warsaw 1862 – 1941 Sceaux) was a draftsman, illustrator, fashion designer, and painter. From 1872 to 1878, he studied in Warsaw at the 4th Gymnasium, then at J. Pankiewicz’s Real School, and in 1880–81 at the Warsaw Drawing School of W. Gerson and A. Kamiński. He also benefited from the guidance of E.M. Andriolli, under whose influence he developed an interest in illustration. In early 1886, he settled in Kraków, and then, starting in 1888, in Paris. He was a student of L. Bonnat, R. Collin, and F. Cormon. In France, he created small-format series of oil paintings, pastels, and drawings on cardboard and canvas. He often included texts explaining his concept. From 1882, he exhibited frequently in Warsaw at the Krywult Salon; from 1886, at the Society of Friends of the Fine Arts (TPSP) in Kraków, and from 1892 to 1896 frequently at the TPSP in Lviv and Poznań, as well as in Berlin, Kyiv, Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseille. His works are held in many Polish museums.