Poland 2 Zlote 2010 Arthur Grottger

Artur Grottger was born on November 11, 1937 in Ottyniowice, in the estate leased by his father, who was a painter too and who gave him the first pieces of advice. After studies under the apprenticeships of Lvov masters in painting, Grottger attended Krakow and Vienna academies. In Vienna he cooperated with some of the magazines as an illustrator. In 1865 he returned to Lvov where he soon met only sixteen-year-old Wanda Monné he got engaged with. This feeling changed the artist and influenced his works. The earliest Grottger’s works presented historical scenes, mostly battles, frequently with motives of riders. Later, when he lived in Vienna, the artist created press illustrations and also undertook works related to the theatre and derived from literature. He also came back to historical episodes and during holiday trips to the country he painted horses. His output includes also works of a symbolic nature and numerous portraits, including images of her fiancée and himself. Many paintings created after 1863 refer to the January Uprising events and its tragic epilogue taking place in Siberia.