Ludwik Puget (1877–1942)
Portrait of a Woman, 1930s
pencil on paper, 19.5 x 15.5 cm
signed lower right: LP
He came from a family of French origin (Puget de la Marche et de Saint-Alban), which had been settled in Poland since the mid-17th century, granted indigenous status in 1726, and had its baronial title confirmed in Poland (1824–1829) and in the Russian Empire in 1861.
He was the son of Jan Antoni (1851–1913) and Maria de Mylo of the Czochron coat of arms (1853–1899). He studied sculpture at the School of Fine Arts in Alfred Daun’s studio from 1895 to 1897. At the same time, he broadened his knowledge by studying art history at Jagiellonian University. He continued his studies in Paris, where he earned a doctoral degree. Upon his return, he honed his skills in Konstanty Laszczka’s studio. He became a member of the “Sztuka” Society of Polish Artists.
On August 12, 1902, he married Countess Julia Kwilecka.
Starting in 1907, he collaborated with the artists of the Zielony Balonik cabaret, working on the modeling and animation of puppets. He also wrote epigrams for the cabaret. He was a member of the National League before 1914[2]. From 1915 to 1918, he taught at the A. Baraniecki Courses for Women; toward the end of World War I (in 1918), he left for France. In 1925, he organized the Polish section at the Decorative Arts Exhibition in Paris.
Ludwik Puget (1942
Upon his return to Poland, he took up the position of curator at the municipal museum in Poznań. In 1927, he proposed the Monument to Freedom for Poznań, and two years later he oversaw conservation work at Poznań Castle. His art studio was located at 1 Berwińskiego Street. In 1930, he founded the “Różowa Kukułka” cabaret in Poznań; after returning to Kraków, the cabaret’s performances moved to the Pugets’ apartment at 18 Piłsudskiego Street. Ludwik Puget wrote the cabaret scripts together with his son Jacek (b. 1904), who was also a sculptor. At the same time, he was active in the Cricot amateur theater group for visual artists, which existed until 1939.
He published in the Kraków-based newspapers *Czas * and *Ilustrowany Kurier Codzienny*. As a sculptor, he created almost exclusively portraits, including those of Olga Boznańska, Zofia Jachimecka, and Karol Hubert Rostworowski. He also left behind animal studies, such as “Lions” from 1913.
He was sent to the German concentration camp KL Auschwitz after being arrested at the Artists’ House on Łobzowska Street, where he had worked as a waiter during World War II. His last work is a portrait of a dog, created while he was in the camp.
