Tadeusz Pruszkowski

Tadeusz Pruszkowski (15 April 1888 – 30 June 1942) was a Polish painter and art teacher, known primarily for his portraits.

Biography He began his artistic studies in 1904 at the , under Konrad Krzyżanowski. In 1908, he continued his studies in Paris, where he associated with Polish writers and artists belonging to the Royalist Club, a monarchist organization. He also met his future wife there. After graduating, he travelled to Switzerland and Algeria, returning to Poland in 1911 and helping to create an artists' society known as "Young Art" (Młoda Sztuka).

In 1930, he became Rector at the School of Fine Arts; participating in the process that resulted in school being promoted to the Academy of Fine Arts in 1932. During the following years, he was involved in creating several organizations for the promotion of Polish art and wrote essays for various publications. In 1935, he was awarded the "Golden Laurel" of the Polish Academy of Literature. His awards included the Cross of Independence, the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Cross of Merit.

At the outbreak of World War II, he and his wife moved from Kazimierz Dolny to a small apartment in Warsaw and rarely ventured outside. He was arrested in June 1942, for aiding Jews and taken to Gestapo headquarters (now the Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom). After an interrogation, he was in the process of being transferred to Pawiak Prison, when he and another prisoner attempted to escape and were shot. They were buried by people from the nearby Warsaw Ghetto. After the war, his remains were recovered and interred in Powązki Cemetery.

Selected paintings