Józef Simmler
Classical Polish historical painter
Józef Simmler was a Polish painter known for his classical style and his Polish subjects. Simmler came from a wealthy German Protestant family. It was this affluent upbringing that allowed him to pursue his interest in cities like Dresden, Munich and Paris. Perhaps his most famous work is "Death of Barbara Radziwillowna" ("Śmierć Barbary Radziwiłłówny"), an oil on canvas work completed in 1860. The painting gained immense popularity when the Warsaw-based Society for the Promotion of the Fine Arts, a newly formed institution with the goal of encourage and promote domestic art and artists, put it on exhibit in 1861. It now hangs in the National Museum, Warsaw. His other famous paintings are “Children of King Edward” (1847) and “Portrait of a Nobleman with a Parrot” (1859). Józef Simmler's major contribution to Polish art is the humaneness that his paintings evoked. He was a specially gifted portraitist. Using styles of costume paintings prevalent in France, he produced works that allowed the public a view of the past. His paintings, however, were more than just reproductions of history. The masterful works also gave a deep sense of compassion, dread, and tenderness. His daughter's brother-in-law was Eduard Strasburger, the famous Polish-German botanist. One of Simmler's grandsons was Henryk Leon Strasburger, a Polish delegate to the League of Nations.
Artworks by this artist
- Studia rąk Katarzyny Jagiellonki, księcia Jana Finlandzkiego i strażnika do obrazu ‘Katarzyna Jagiellonka w więzieniu w Gripsholmie’ 1858
- Szkice puttów i draperii do plafonu ‘Pochód weselny Amora i Psyche’ 1863
- Koncert renesansowy (szkic kompozycji) 1857
- Portrait of Nikodem Biernacki circa 1860
- Projekt winiety dla wydawnicwtwa 1858
- Szkic kompozycji z trzema kobietami 1840
- The Entombment 1840-1854
- Wacław’s farewell to Maria 1856
- Sketch of the king figure for the painting ‘Death of Barbara Radziwiłł’ 1860
- Sketch of Catherine Jagiellon with son Sigismund and John, Grand Duke of Finland, to the painting ‘Catherine Jagiellon in Gripsholm Prison’ 1858
- Study of a nude male 1858
- Study of Quinn Barbara’s Arm to the Painting ‘The Death of Barbara Radziwiłł’ 1860
- Jaśko of Tęczyn’s Garment. Study to the Painting ‘The Oath of Queen Jadwiga’ 1867
- Male nude study 1841 - 1842
- Portrait sketch of a lady circa 1855
- Sketch for “Crucifixion” 1868
- Sketch of nude men to the scene with Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea supporting the dead body of Christ to the painting ‘Entombment’ 1850
- Sketch of the figure to the group of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene to the painting ‘Entombment’ 1850
- Sketch of the queen figure for the painting ‘Queen Jadwiga’s Oath’ 1867
- Sketches of costumes, furniture and architectural details 1861-1867