Biography:

Edward Messiah (1929-2007) was a well-known and respected realist painter. He specialized in combat. Associated with Częstochowa. He was born on February 1, 1929 in Lipno, Kłobuck County. From his youth, he showed interest and artistic abilities. Initially, he was taught drawing by his father, a soldier of the 1st Krechowiec Uhlan Regiment from the 1920s and an outstanding draftsman. He studied in Krakow at the Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1954. During his studies, he also attended Jerzy Kossak's studio, which deepened his interest in historical and battle topics. Immediately after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts, he started working at the Art High School in Częstochowa, where he became a teacher and mentor, among others. Jerzy Duda-Gracz. In later years, he also taught technical drawing and lettering at other educational institutions in Częstochowa. He was a member of the Association of Polish Artists. He created mainly battle paintings, landscapes, and genre scenes, most often involving horses. He had several individual exhibitions, including: in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa (1972) and in the District Museum in Częstochowa (1978). He participated in many collective exhibitions in the country. The peak of popularity occurred in the period from 1970 to the mid-1980s. He painted pictures thematically related to the history of the Polish Arms, from Mieszko I to the Polish People's Army. Following his childhood experiences, he loved painting September 1939, especially the Polish cavalry fights. In addition to the accounts of the participants of those events who were alive at that time, he made his works more realistic with careful inspections and studies of the battlefields. Until his last days, he painted using a magnifying glass due to his poor eyesight. He died after a serious illness in Częstochowa on May 29, 2007.



Owning a painting by Edward Mejsasz marked one's position in society in the 1970s and 1980s. The works of this painter from Częstochowa have traveled around the world. He himself was Jerzy Duda-Gracz's mentor. This is what Jerzy Duda-Gracz wrote about E. Messiah in a letter for the 50th anniversary of the Fine Arts Secondary School in Częstochowa:

“Finally, a few words about my first and most important Master - Professor Edward Messiah. Battle fighter and chronicler of September 1939, the last heir of the romantic uhlan legend of the Republic of Poland. I had many teachers at school and at the Academy, but I owe "everything" artistically to Him. In addition to the basics of painting and drawing still lifes, plasters, figures and landscapes, in addition to the addiction of daily sketching, in addition to awakening the love for Polish tradition and art, Professor Messiah taught me the most important thing: faithfulness to myself, always and everywhere...."

You can read more in an interview conducted with the artist in 2005:

http://czestochowa.wyborcza.pl/czestochowa/1,35270,2620735.html?disableRedirects=true

Picture description

Although Edward Messiah is known mainly for his battle-themed paintings, his achievements also include: landscapes, and it is the landscape that is the subject of this auction. A painting on a rectangular plan, showing a realistic autumn forest landscape. In the foreground, the painter depicted an old fallen tree by a forest stream. In the background there are impressive deciduous trees with yellowed leaves - beeches. In the background there is a dark forest wall. The painter skillfully captured the mood of the moment prevailing in the forest on autumn days. This painting was created in 1983 and is an example of the artist's relatively late work. During that period, due to worsening vision problems, the artist painted landscapes more and more often because he could not work on the details that are the essence of battle painting. A beautiful antique frame goes well with this painting.

Parameters and state of preservation

Oil on canvas. The image is relatively large. Dimensions: 78x58.5 cm. Dimensions including frame: 94x74 cm. Signed ld "E. Messiah 1983". The painting is framed in a beautiful antique wooden frame. The painting and frame are in very good condition.