Czesław Borys Jankowski (1862–1941), The Hecatomb of War

Gouache on paper; dimensions (in the inner frame): 41 x 30.5 cm; a barely legible signature in the lower right corner. The work is mounted in a so-called “museum glass” frame.

Czesław Borys Jankowski (1862–1941) was a painter, draftsman, illustrator, and lithographer. He studied at the Warsaw School of Drawing under the guidance of, among others, Wojciech Gerson and Michał Elwiro Andriolli. Initially, he collaborated with Polish illustrated magazines, and later created illustrations for literary works by authors such as Henryk Sienkiewicz and Stanisław Przybyszewski.

From 1889 onward, he was based in Paris, where he pursued his artistic career as an illustrator, painter, and designer. His work included symbolic, religious, and decorative compositions, and his pieces were also published in the French, English, and American press. For his work, he was awarded the Legion of Honor.