Władysław Skoczylas

Place: Wieliczka

Born: 1883

Death: 1934

Biography:

Władysław Skoczylas was a renowned Polish watercolorist, woodcutter, sculptor, and art teacher, born on April 4, 1883, in Wieliczka, Poland. He passed away on April 8, 1934, in Warsaw, leaving behind a legacy of stunning works of art.

Early Life and Education

Skoczylas' father was a foreman in the salt mines, and he graduated from the gymnasium in Bochnia. He then attended the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied painting with Teodor Axentowicz and Leon Wyczółkowski and sculpture with Konstanty Laszczka. Due to an allergy that caused a rash on his hands, he had to give up oil painting and focus on watercolors.

Artistic Career

Skoczylas' artistic career was marked by numerous achievements. He taught drawing at the "Wood Industry School" in Zakopane and continued his sculptural studies in Paris with Antoine Bourdelle. He also attended classes in woodcutting at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig. In 1914, his woodcuts won an award at the second Henryk Grohman Competition. Skoczylas was a professor at the Warsaw University of Technology and obtained the chair of graphics at the School of Fine Art in 1922. He was awarded a bronze medal for watercolors on the subject of archery at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. During the 1920s, he co-founded several groups devoted to the promotion of Polish art and provided illustrations for numerous periodicals. Notable Works Some of Skoczylas' notable works include:

• View of Kazimierz on the Vistula, a stunning watercolor painting created in 1930, which can be found on Wikioo.org.
• Female Dancer, a captivating bronze sculpture by Georg Kolbe, which can be found on Wikioo.org.

Awards and Recognition

Skoczylas was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1929. From 1930 to 1931, he was Director of the Department of Art at the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The largest collection of his works and personal memorabilia is currently held at the Kraków Saltworks Museum in Wieliczka. Streets have been named after him in Bochnia, Częstochowa, Wrocław, and Warsaw. For more information about Władysław Skoczylas, visit his page on Wikioo.org or check out his biography on Wikipedia.