Józef Rapacki (1871 - 1929)

Józef Rapacki

Józef Rapacki was a talented Polish painter and graphic artist who is best known for his nostalgic landscapes of Mazovia. 

At the age of fourteen, Rapacki enrolled in a drawing class taught by Wojciech Gerson. Later he enrolled at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied under Isidor Jabloński, Florian Czink and Felix Szynałewski.

At first he painted genre scenes. In 1889, Jozef Rapacki travelled to Munich, where he studied for two years under the portraitist Konrad Fehr and was influenced by the Munich school.

He also began doing drawings for several Warsaw periodicals and illustrated the works of Ignacy Krasicki. Rapacki exhibited extensively, including at the World's Fair (1900).

In 1907, Rapacki and his family moved to Olszanka, where his house became a gathering place for artists and writers. It was here that he concentrated on landscapes and created some of his best known works. During World War I, he drew many pictures of the German occupation for the Warsaw press.

Józef Rapacki's artwork is still popular and appreciated for its unique style and unique atmosphere.