Girl with a Plate
Girl with a Plate
Girl with a Plate

Girl with a Plate

Author: Przepiorski Lucien, 1830 - 1898

Material / technique: oil on canvas.

Dimensions: 53x44.5 cm.

Signature: Lucien Przepiorski (in the bottom-right corner of the painting).

The artist of this painting is almost forgotten in his home country: until now not a single work by him existed in collections in Lithuania. LUCIEN PRZEPIÓRSKI (1830/1–1911) was born in Vilnius, and it is believed that his mother was an artist too. He lived in Warsaw for a short while in 1855, colouring photographs in a photographic studio (according to some sources, he owned the studio). He returned to Lithuania in 1855, and painted portraits and religious paintings. In 1857, he started studying at St Petersburg Academy of Art, and in 1859 he gained a degree in portraiture. Przepiórski took part in the 1863 uprising, and from 1864 until his death he lived in Paris, copying paintings in the Louvre and exhibiting frequently in the Salon. He painted portraits, domestic scenes, still-lifes, and historical and allegorical compositions. He won a bronze medal in the Exposition Universelle of 1889. His style bears the imprint of his early contact with photography. With their meticulous modelling and abundance of detail, his paintings gravitate towards photography, although they are not without deeper symbolic or allegorical meanings. Their everyday scenes link them to the Biedermeier style. His Girl embroidering a picture resembles a portrait. The work is simple and warm, a snapshot of domestic life. At the same time, it reflects the broader phenomenon of the cult of the Virgin Mary in France. After the official declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, works such as this became fashionable. One of the most popular was Murillo’s Immaculate Conception, a copy of which the girl is embroidering in this painting.

Reference: "RES PUBLICA" The art collection of the law firm Ellex Valiunas. Compiler R. Jononienė. Vilnius, 2018, P. 190.

Published: "RES PUBLICA" The art collection of the law firm Ellex Valiunas. Compiler R. Jononienė. Vilnius, 2018, P. 191, Cat. No. 64, P. 224.

Exhibitions: Exhibition of fine and applied art works of the 16th-20th centuries "Senses and Sensations", 5 December 2024 - 4 May 2025, LNDM Vilnius Gallery of Paintings, Vilnius.

Photos: preparing for the exhibition ''Senses and Sensations''. Photo by Vadim Šamkov.