Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz

Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz (1852 – 9 January 1916) was a Polish realist painter from around the turn-of-the-century, best known for his battle-scenes, portraits, landscapes and paintings of horses. He was educated in Kraków in the Austrian sector of the Partitioned Poland. He died in the armed struggle for Poland's independence around Kraków during World War I.^[1]

Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz
Self-portrait
Born	Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz 1852 Wieliczka, Austrian Empire
Died	1916 (aged 63–64) Kraków, Austria-Hungary
Nationality	Polish
Known for	Painter
Notable work	The portrait of Helena Modrzejewska, The military parade of the Romanian army
Movement	Realism

Biography

The portrait of Helena Modrzejewska, 1880

Ajdukiewicz was born in Wieliczka. From 1868 to 1873, he studied under Władysław Łuszczkiewicz in the School of Fine Arts in Kraków. Later, he travelled to Vienna and Munich on a scholarship along with Wojciech Kossak and studied in Józef Brandt's atelier among other places. In 1877, Ajdukiewicz travelled to Paris and the Near East with Count Władysław Branicki. In 1882, he lived in Vienna, where he worked on commissions for the aristocracy. He painted a portrait of the Prince of Wales in 1883 while staying in London.^[1]

Ajdukiewicz travelled to Constantinople in 1884, and was a guest of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Subsequently, he worked in Sofia, Saint Petersburg and Bucharest. He joined the 1st Brigade of the Polish Legions in 1914 created by Józef Piłsudski, and died in battle around Kraków on 9 January 1916 during World War I.

His first cousin was a Polish historical painter Zygmunt Ajdukiewicz (1861-1917) born in Witkowice.

Works

Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz is mainly known for his standing portraits, such as The portrait of Helena Modrzejewska, and for his numerous paintings of battle scenes and equestrian portraits of nobility. He was also noted for his genre and oriental paintings. Commissioned by the Romanian Ministry of War, he also produced an album devoted to imperial army uniform while in Bucharest.^[1]

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  Konie na pastwisku
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  Spotkanie na pustyni
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  January Uprising of 1863
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  Military exercises of 1885
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  Portrait of Jan Reszke National Museum, Warsaw
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  Portrait of Emilia Reszke, National Museum, Warsaw
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  Portrait of Bethlen Klementina, Countess Mikes - Zabola, 1907