Julian Fałat (Polish, 1853-1929)

 

Sunset over the Wetlands, 1908 

Watercolor on paper 50 x 90 cm 

Historical Museum in Bielsko-Białaù

Julian Fałat (1853–1929) was one of Poland’s most acclaimed watercolorists, a master landscape painter, and a prominent figure in Polish Impressionism. He played a pivotal role in modernizing Polish art education around the turn of the 20th century.

Artistic Style & Key Themes

• Master of Watercolor: While skilled in oils, Fałat gained renown for his technical mastery of watercolors, handling the medium with fluidity, speed, and subtle light control.

• Winter Landscapes: He is best known for vast, snowy Polish landscapes featuring winding, partially frozen streams, subtle blue shadows, and atmospheric light shifts.

• Japanese Influence: A world tour in 1885—particularly his time in Japan—profoundly shaped his composition style. He adopted flat color areas, asymmetrical framing, and dramatic foreground trees inspired by Japanese woodcuts.

• Hunting & Rural Life: He frequently painted royal hunting expeditions, forest scenes, and portraits of local peasants and highlanders.

Career Highlights

Era / Role	Key Details
Early Training	Studied at the Kraków School of Fine Arts under Władysław Łuszczkiewicz and later at the Munich Academy.
Imperial Court Painter (1886–1895)	Served as court painter to Prince Wilhelm (later German Emperor Wilhelm II) in Berlin after impressive hunting-scene commissions.
Academic Reformer (1895–1909)	Returned to Kraków as director of the School of Fine Arts. He transformed it into the modern Kraków Academy of Fine Arts in 1900 and hired prominent Young Poland modernists like Jacek Malczewski and Stanislaw Wyspiański as professors.

Fałat spent his later years in Bystra Śląska, where his former home now houses the Fałatówka, a museum dedicated to his life and works.

Valdemar Nyström (1864 - 1924)

 

Boat in the Evening Sun. 1923
Oil on canvas

Valdemar Nyström (1864–1924) was a Swedish painter known for his landscapes, etchings, and drawings. Born in Stockholm, he studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts and traveled extensively across France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, and Belgium to refine his artistic style.

Nyström was associated with the Skagen Painters, a Scandinavian artist colony, and spent time in Grez-sur-Loing, another well-known artistic retreat. His works often depict natural scenery, with a focus on light and atmosphere. Some of his notable paintings include Sommarlandskap med vallmo (Summer Landscape with Poppies) and Månskenspromenad på Skagen (Moonlight Walk in Skagen).

His art has been auctioned multiple times, with prices ranging from modest sums to over $60,000, reflecting his enduring appeal. He is represented in collections such as the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and the Skagens Museum.

Gwen John

 

 Landscape at Tenby with Figures, ca.1896-97, Oil on board

Gwen John (1876–1939) was a Welsh painter known for her intimate, quiet portraits and interiors. She was the sister of Augustus John, a more flamboyant and widely recognized artist, but her work has gained significant appreciation over time.

John studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London and later moved to Paris, where she trained under James Abbott McNeill Whistler. She lived a reclusive life, focusing on subtle, introspective compositions, often featuring anonymous female sitters. Her paintings are characterized by soft tones, delicate brushwork, and a meditative atmosphere.

She spent much of her career in Meudon, France, where she became deeply religious and continued to refine her distinctive style. Despite being overshadowed by her brother during her lifetime, her work is now recognized for its quiet intensity and emotional depth.

Alex Katz (b. 1927 USA)

 

Untitled - oil on masonite 8 x 12 in.

Alex Katz, born in 1927 in Brooklyn, New York, is a celebrated American figurative painter known for his large-scale, simplified portraits and landscapes. His work is characterized by flat, vibrant backgrounds and reductive forms, often incorporating elements of Pop Art.

Katz studied at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. Over his career, he has produced a vast body of work, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints, and has been the subject of over 200 solo exhibitions worldwide. His art is housed in prestigious institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

His distinctive style emerged in the 1950s, during the height of Abstract Expressionism, but he developed a unique approach that set him apart. Katz’s work often features family, friends, and landscapes, rendered with a striking economy of detail.

James Proudfoot (UK 1908-1971)

 

Sun on a House, Dieppe (1937)

oil on canvas 64.1 x 76.8 cm

James Proudfoot (1908–1971) was a Scottish-born British painter, known for his portraits and landscapes. He studied at Heatherley School of Fine Art and Goldsmiths, University of London, later moving to London in 1937. His work was exhibited at prestigious venues such as the Royal Academy (RA), Royal Scottish Academy (RSA), and the Paris Salon. Proudfoot was also a member of the Chelsea Arts Club and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI).

His paintings often depicted actors and theatrical figures, including Ellen Pollock, whom he married in 1945. Some of his notable works include "Sun on a House, Dieppe" (1937), "Peter Ustinov" (1921–2004), and "Perth Rooftops in Snow". His art is part of collections at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection and Perth Museum and Art Gallery

Group of Seven: Lawren Harris

 Italian Store in the Ward (1922)

Lawren Harris was a Canadian painter and a founding member of the Group of Seven, a collective of artists known for their bold depictions of the Canadian landscape. His work evolved from detailed urban scenes to simplified, spiritual landscapes, often featuring majestic mountains, lakes, and icebergs. His later paintings embraced abstraction, reflecting his interest in Theosophy, a spiritual philosophy that influenced his artistic vision.

His most famous works include "North Shore, Lake Superior" (1926) and "Maligne Lake" (1924), which showcase his signature style—geometric forms, vibrant colors, and a sense of mystical grandeur.

Simeon Nijenhuis

Early Breakfast (2025) oil on panel 34 x41 cm

Simeon Nijenhuis is a fine artist known for his paintings, often exhibited at Galerie Wildevuur. 

His work includes landscapes, interiors, and portraits, and he frequently paints en plein air (outdoors) to capture natural light and atmosphere. 

His exhibitions have been well-received, with many of his paintings selling out. You can explore his work on his .

Dyalma Stultus (1901–1977)

 

Dyalma Stultus (1901–1977) was an Italian painter and sculptor born in Trieste. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice and was influenced by the Renaissance masters, the Macchiaioli, and Symbolist movements. Stultus avoided aligning with specific artistic groups, preferring to develop his own style. His works often depicted landscapes, allegorical compositions, and portraits, blending classical techniques with a modern sensibility.

He exhibited widely, including at the Venice Biennale and in cities like Paris, New York, and Barcelona. Later in life, he taught art in Florence and Siena. Stultus's legacy includes numerous posthumous retrospectives celebrating his contributions to 20th-century Italian art.