Stanislav Zhukovsky
/1875-1944/
Stanislav Zhukovsky, a highly acclaimed landscape painter of Russian and Belarusian and Polish background, was born on May 13, 1873, in the village of Yendrikhovtsy, Grodno province. Despite his father's objections, he followed his artistic passion, supported by his mother's encouragement for music, languages, and drawing. At the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, Zhukovsky became a devoted disciple of Isaac Levitan.
His talent flourished, and by the early 1900s, Zhukovsky gained fame as a prominent landscape artist, exhibiting with the Peredvizhniki and the "World of Art" group, while being a member of the Union of Russian Artists. However, the revolution marked a turning point in his career, leading him to relocate to Poland, where he established a private art school and continued his creative pursuits.
Challenges arose during the 1930s when an economic crisis impacted his artistic career. Despite suggestions to return to the Soviet Union, Zhukovsky remained in Warsaw. There, he witnessed the onset of World War II and endured the German occupation. Tragically, in 1944, at the age of 71, he was arrested during the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising and perished in a concentration camp, buried among countless other victims of the Nazi regime.
Zhukovsky's masterpieces were distinguished by their luminosity and airy charm, achieved through plein air techniques and vibrant colors. Notably, he found inspiration in old manors, capturing their essence with tenderness and simplicity, earning him the endearing title of "the poet of the Russian estate."