Leopold Kowalsky (1856-1931), Study Of A Woman From Behind, Graphite On Paper

Leopold Kowalsky (1856-1931)
Study of a woman from behind
Graphite on paper
Monogrammed “LK” lower right
24.5 x 22.5 cm

French painter and engraver of Polish origin, Léopold Kowalsky was born in Paris in 1856. He received his first training at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1878 in the studio of Henri Lehmann before joining the Académie Julian the following year. He exhibited regularly at the Salon des artistes français from 1881 where his work was noticed. He received several distinctions for this, including a bronze medal in 1884.

Strongly inspired by his master, Léopold Kowalsky developed a strong interest in the female figure, which he sometimes represented in genre scenes, particularly during outdoor activities in compositions with vibrant colors, and sometimes through more intimate portraits of Parisian high society. He excelled in depicting the toilets of elegant women with their vaporous drapes.

In 1912, the artist left Paris and retired to Eure, where he also devoted himself to painting lively landscapes of the Normandy and Breton countryside, revealing a strong post-impressionist inspiration. During the last twenty years of his life, his only models were his wife and daughter.