Jerzy Nowosielski

JERZY NOWOSIELSKI (1923–2011). A graduate of the Kunstgewerbeschule in Kraków and the Faculty of Painting at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, where he earned his diploma under Professor Eugeniusz Eibisch. He was one of the most prominent 20th-century Polish painters, draftsmen, stage designers, and Orthodox theologians. Associated with the historic Kraków Group, he was dedicated to teaching for many years as a professor at his alma mater. His artistic practice focused on easel painting, mural painting (sacred polychromies), drawing, stage design, and icon writing.

His paintings are characterized by extraordinary formal discipline, flat color fields, and distinct, dark outlines. The central themes of his work revolve around figurative depictions—including numerous female nudes, portraits, and still lifes—as well as landscapes, abstract compositions, and sacred architecture. These depictions refer to spirituality, metaphysics, and the interplay between the sacred and the profane, which on his canvases transform into a universal, hierarchical harmony. Jerzy Nowosielski's paintings serve as a synthesis of Eastern Byzantine tradition and the modern avant-garde, in which key motifs include corporeality, light, and transcendence.

The artist analyzes the boundary between material reality and the spiritual dimension, confronting the viewer with the austerity of form and the depth of mystical contemplation. He imbues his works with an aura of focus, solemnity, and sacred serenity, often boldened by pure colors and geometric rigor. His oeuvre balances between iconic gravity and modern abstraction, drawing visual inspiration from Byzantine art, early Christian murals, and the Polish avant-garde tradition.

Jerzy Nowosielski held numerous solo exhibitions and participated in key international presentations of Polish art, including the Venice Biennale (1956). His monumental polychromies adorn numerous churches in Poland (including the Orthodox church in Biały Bór and churches in Wesoła and Tychy). His works are included in all major museum collections in Poland (including the National Museums in Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, and Wrocław, as well as the Museum of Art in Łódź) and in private collections worldwide.

If you have works by this artist for sale, please contact us. If you are interested in purchasing works by the artist, please also get in touch. We will keep you informed about the availability of paintings.