[From the catalogue-in-progress for “Landscapes & Livestock”, a loan exhibition for Agincourt Homecoming in the Fall of 2015]

DOBRZYCKI, Zygmunt [1896–1970]

“View of St Tropez”

1969

wood or linoleum cut with hand coloring on paper / 3 1/2 inches x 5 1/4 inches

Power and size are not always commensurate. Witness Zygmunt Dobrzycki’s petite woodcut, about the size of a common 19th century penny postcard. According to one on-line source:

ZYGMUNT DOBRZYCKI was a painter, sculptor and designer of textures, polychromes and ceramics. He was connected with the so-called École de Paris. Beginning from the year 1915 he studied at art schools in Kiev, Moscow and Petersburg. In 1923 he began his education at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts and Warsaw University (Philosophy). In the years 1924-1928 he lived in Paris, later in Saint-Paul-de Vence (Southern France) and also in Damme (Belgium). His early work was mostly shaped by the symbolic influence of N. Čiurlionis and later – already in France – it was mostly inspired by fauvism and cubism. Dobrzycki exhibited a lot, for example, at the Paris Salons as well as in Brussels and Antwerp. In 1937 he was awarded gold medal at the International “Art and Technique” exhibition in Paris. The artist created landscapes, still natures, nudes, figural compositions and horses. He also worked in graphic design, wood polychrome sculpture, texture design, ceramics and wall decorations. Dobrzycki created many wall decorations in Belgian and French churches. In 1965 he designed the “To the Polish Heroes” statue in Saint-Nicolas (Belgium). He was also designer of the monumental 28-metre high Cité Administrative exterior in Brussels.

Probably intended as a postcard, the reverse of the artwork is addressed to Mr & Mrs Kurt Bernhard with the following message: “Z najlepszymi życzeniami na Nowy Rok.” [With best wishes for the New Year.]