Józef Oleszkiewicz

Józef Oleszkiewicz (, ; c.1777 – 5 October 1830) was a Polish painter, active in Vilnius and then in Saint Petersburg during Tsar Alexander I's reign, known primarily for his portraits and his eccentric behavior.

Biography

Oleszkiewicz was born in Šiluva. He came from an impoverished noble family; his father was a musician. With assistance from a family friend, he became a student at the University of Vilnius in 1797. He studied anatomy and physiology but switched to drawing and painting, taking classes with Franciszek Smuglewicz and Jan Rustem. He also copied paintings at the homes of wealthy people who knew his family. In 1801, he attracted the attention of Count Aleksander Chodkiewicz, a playwright, chemist and (later) a general, who was also a budding patron of the arts. Chodkiewicz provided him with the necessary funds to study abroad.

In 1803, he went to Paris and enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he studied with Jean-Simon Berthélemy and Jacques-Louis David. Oleszkiewicz soon became a much sought-after portrait painter, but he also created historical, religious and allegorical works.

In regard to the latter, he was a prominent Freemason, eventually becoming part of the upper hierarchy at the lodges in Saint Petersburg and Vilnius, until they were outlawed in 1822. After predicting what would be the worst flood in Saint Petersburg's history, in 1824, he gained a reputation as a soothsayer, although floods there were certainly not uncommon. Later, he was the inspiration for "The Sorcerer"; a character who appears in Part III of the poetic drama Dziady by Adam Mickiewicz.

He died in Saint Petersburg in 1830. Despite being a vegetarian, it appears that he died from complications related to gout.

Selected portraits