The painting Shylock and Jessica earned a gold medal at the Munich Academy in 1876, establishing the reputation of Maurycy Gottlieb before his early death at age twenty-three. Working within the framework of French Realism, he produced over three hundred pieces during his short professional life, ranging from complex oil compositions to various sketches.
Early Education and Training
Born in 1856 in Drohobych, Gottlieb belonged to a large, affluent family. His formal introduction to painting occurred in Lemberg under Michał Godlewski. At fifteen, he commenced a three-year enrollment at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. By 1873, he relocated to Kraków to train under Jan Matejko. His time there proved brief; he departed after an anti-Semitic incident at the School of Fine Arts, despite the objections of his friend Jacek Malczewski. He later traveled to Norway and stayed in Molde before moving to Munich in 1875, where he studied under Karl von Piloty and Alexander von Wagner.
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Gottlieb moved to Vienna in 1876 to attend the workshop of Heinrich von Angeli. During this period, he focused on biblical themes and provided illustrations for the Friedrich Bruckmann Publishing house in Munich. In 1878, he relocated to Rome, where he formed a friendship with Henryk Siemiradzki. At a banquet hosted by Siemiradzki, he reconnected with his former teacher, Matejko. This encounter led to an agreement for Gottlieb to return to Kraków as a lead student, tasked with contributing to a series of monumental historical paintings concerning the history of the Jewish people in Poland.
Final Years and Legacy
In 1879, Gottlieb returned to Kraków to begin his new series. His life ended later that year due to complications from a respiratory illness, though alternative accounts suggest suicide or exposure to the elements following a failed marriage proposal to Laura Rosenfeld. Jan Matejko attended his funeral and assumed responsibility for the career of Gottlieb’s younger brother, Marcin. Gottlieb was buried at the New Jewish Cemetery. Today, his work is widely recognized for its technical skill, with his most notable painting being Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.
Fast facts
- Born: 1856, Drohobych
- Died: 1879, Kraków
- Movement: French Realism
- Education: Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
- Notable Works: Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur
- Brother: Leopold Gottlieb
- Burial: New Jewish Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the painting Shylock and Jessica?
It won a gold medal at the Munich Academy in 1876 and brought the artist widespread acclaim.
How many works did Gottlieb complete?
More than three hundred works survive, although many are unfinished sketches rather than completed oil paintings.
Achievements
- Notable work: Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur
- Movement: French Realism
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