Karol Mondral

Karol Mondral (1880–1957) was a Polish painter and graphic artist.

Biography Youth Karol Mondral was born on January 25, 1880, in Warsaw, to Jan Mondral and Maria née Paczuska. His father ran a small painting and decoration workshop in the district of Powiśle.

Between 1894 and 1900, he studied at the Warsaw Drawing School (now the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw) with professors such as Wojciech Gerson, Jan Kauzik or Adam Badowski.

In 1902 Karol went to Kraków to continue his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, in the class of Leon Wyczółkowski. It was under Wyczółkowski's influence that Mondral turned his interest to Japanese woodcuts. Unfortunately, the death his father forced him to return to Warsaw, so as to take care of his mother and younger siblings. He took over the workshop, making portraits, designing posters, playbills, book covers, models for nearby Hempel factory, but was still dreaming of graphic design. Romana and Karol settled in Montparnasse, at "La Ruche".

He made also many trips around France and Switzerland, while looking for subjects for his works.

A wealthy American businessman would come to Paris once a year, buying everything Mondral managed to create. Thanks to him, the artist could rent a second studio and open his own etching press. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of artistic work, he received a touching gift - a graphic portfolio made by his students, dated June 28, 1952.

Karol Mondral died in Poznań on December 16, 1957. His remains rest together with his wife at the cemetery of Pyry, Warsaw, where his daughter Camilla had them transferred in 1983.

In the 21st century the following exhibitions have been set up in his memory: "Karol Mondral, 1880–1957", in Bydgoszcz (2012); In 2013, "Karol Mondral. Twórczość graficzna między Paryżem, Bydgoszczą a Poznaniem" (Karol Mondral. Graphic arts between Paris, Bydgoszcz and Poznań), displayed in Bydgoszcz,

Works Mondral mainly used techniques on metal for creating etchings, aquatints or drypoint and soft varnish. He less often used lithography and woodcut (though in Paris he dealt more frequently with color woodcuts).

He realized as well some paintings: She was an accomplished member of the Polish national team in athletics and fencing.

Working as a clerk at the Ministry of Military Affairs, she transferred to Romania at the start of World War II, then moved to Hungary. There she joined the secret courier service but was arrested at the end of the conflict and sentenced to forced labor in Austria.

She came back to Warsaw in 1945 and worked in the Supply Organization Office at the Ministry of Industry. In 1948, she became the director of the State Trade Center. From 1950 to 1956, she had a position in the editorial office of Hungarian literature at the Czytelnik Publishing House. she became member of the Polish Writers' Union in 1953. In 1976, she was one of the signatories of "Memorial 101", an open letter of Polish intellectuals against the changes to the Constitution of the Polish People's Republic. In 1980, she was admitted to the PEN Club.

In 1948 she married Andrzej Pęksa, a skier and Tatra Mountains guide, but divorced him two years later. They had a son, Stefan-Kuba Pęksa.

Camilla Mondrat died in 2002 in Warsaw; she was buried at the Pyry cemetery of Warsaw.