Polish artist Leon Jan Wyczółkowski (1852 –1936) was an influential painter and educator who infused his country’s historical realism with techniques learned from the French Impressionists. One of his favorite mediums, even for largescale paintings, was pastels.
Leon Wyczółkowski, “U Wrót Chałubińskiego” [At the Chałubiński Gate]; Leon Wyczółkowski; c. 1905, pastel on paper, 30 1/2 x 42 1/3 in.; National Museum in Kraków
“Giewont in Snow”; Leon Wyczółkowski; c. 1905, pastel on paper, 19 1/2 x 28 1/3 in.; Silesian Museum
A major figure of the Young Poland movement, Wyczółkowski studied in Munich and Kraków before traveling to Paris, where he absorbed the light-focused sensibilities of the Barbizon School and Impressionism. Back at home, he helped to define a national artistic identity by founding the Society of Polish Artists “Sztuka.” Initially exalted for his plein air paintings of fishermen and laborers, Wyczółkowski turned to the Polish landscape, especially the rugged Tatras, in the early 20th century.
In the view of the Chałubiński Gate (at top), delicate pastel strokes lend the cloud forms a vaporous, dreamlike presence, while bold earth tones ground the image. “It’s like stepping into the heart of nature itself,” says one modern curator. “Those clouds are the very breath of the mountains.”
“Krajobraz Tatrzański”; Leon Wyczółkowski; c. 1905, pastel on paper, 24 1/2 x 37 1/2 in.; Wawel Castle
Exemplifying the artist’s ability to balance realism with emotional resonance, U Wrót Chałubińskiego stands as a testament to plein air’s power to convey both place and presence. He captured not just what the eye sees, but what the soul senses in the wild.
“Winter Waters” (pastel, 18 x 14 in.) by Aaron Schuerr
In his teaching video Winter Sunset in Pastel, Aaron Schuerr also explores the deeper and more meaningful side of painting. He shows you how to translate the essence of any scene onto your surface and narrate an emotionally resonant story through your art.
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