Dimensions: 49 x 36 cm (inside the mat)
signed lower right: 'Piramowicz'
Provenance
private collection, Poland
Biography
She began her painting studies with Miłosz Kotarbiński and continued them from 1904 at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts under the guidance of Karol Tichy. From 1910 to 1912, she studied at the School of Decorative Arts in Dresden. At the same time, she honed her technique by creating copies of famous works by the great masters on display in local galleries. A copy of Raphael’s Sistine Madonna from this period has survived.
In December 1912, together with her friend Sara Lipska—a multi-talented artist, sculptor, painter, and decorator (and, privately, the muse of Xawery Dunikowski)—she left for Paris. Most art historians, following Edward Waligóra (catalog of Zofia Piramowicz’s 1972 exhibition in Kraków), cite a romantic disappointment caused by Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer as the reason for her departure, but this does not seem to have been the only reason. Her engagement to Tetmajer was broken off and renewed more than once, yet the two remained friends until the poet fell ill. Therefore, her desire to work in the artistic capital of Europe—Paris—and her love of travel in general must have played an important role. It is known that after arriving in France, she was in contact with Władysław Ślewiński, presumably visiting him in Brittany. According to the artist’s family, Ślewiński gave her technical advice, which did not particularly influence Piramowicz’s painting style.
In Paris, Zofia Piramowicz became friends with Olga Boznańska, with whom she was active in both social and charitable circles among Polish artists.
After World War I, she traveled extensively throughout France (Nice, Biarritz), to Italy (Venice), Spain (Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Andalusia), and the Maghreb countries: Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia (Tunisia). She also visited Poland.
She fell in love with the folklore of the Orient, made local friends, and began learning Arabic. She documented her travels with both brush and camera, using a foldable Kodak Vest Pocket camera to capture black-and-white negatives in the 6.5 x 4 cm format.
She exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants, the Salon des Tuileries, and the Salon d’Automne (as a “Societaire”—a member of the Association) as well as at the Parisian galleries Barbazanges, Montaigne, d’Olympia, and in the exhibition halls of the “ORBIS” Society in Paris. She painted landscapes, genre scenes, figures, and flowers, as well as caricatures. Many of Z.P.’s paintings from the interwar period found their way into the collections of art collectors in the U.S. They also adorned the homes of Parisian celebrities (including Antoine Cierplikowski).
In 1972, the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków (directed by Edward Waligóra, curated by Dr. Janusz Saryusz-Kamocki) organized a monographic exhibition of Zofia Piramowicz’s work, placing particular emphasis on her paintings documenting the folklore of Morocco and other Maghreb countries. Also on display was a rich collection assembled by Zofia Piramowicz, consisting of folk costumes, jewelry, and small everyday objects from the region—now part of the collection of the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków—a gift from the artist’s family. The exhibition was held under the honorary patronage of His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Warsaw.
Currently, one of Zofia Piramowicz’s most iconic works, depicting the Jemaa el-Fnaa market square in the 1930s, (oil on canvas) is on display at the Museum in Pont-Aven as part of the exhibition “Les Artistes Voyageuses 1880–1944” Evian-les-Bains/Pont-Aven 1922–23 (curated by Arielle Pelenc). The exhibition runs through November 5, 1923.
Currently, scholarly research is being conducted in France and Poland on the life and work of Zofia Piramowicz; upon its completion, a comprehensive catalog of the artist’s works is expected to be published.
