Antoni Zaleski, Portrait of Tadeusz Kosciuszko

Antanas Zaleski (Antoni Zaleski, 1824-1885)
Portrait of General Tadas Kosciusko
1867, drb., al., 53,5 × 38,5
Signed. KP

Antoni Zaleski - 19th-century Romantic painter, born in 1824 in Warsaw. He studied art in Vienna and Florence, and around 1847 he settled on his family's property, the Kasčiukiškės estate near Kaišiadorys, which became the centre of his artistic and cultural activity.
From 1862, Zaleskis was a member of the Provincial Committee of Lithuania in Vilnius, a district governor of Trakai County, and a supporter of the participants of the 1863 Uprising, providing them with food and clothing. He was arrested at the beginning of 1863, later exiled with his son to the Viatka Governorate, and his estate was expropriated. He was allowed to return in 1867 and later lived in Warsaw, Krakow, Nice and Florence.
Zaleskis maintained close relations with the artists Mykolas Elvyras Andriolis and Vladislovas Dmachauskas, sharing patriotic ideas and artistic views. His work is dominated by historical and national motifs - images of Lithuanian rulers, castles and battles, conveying respect for the nation's past and the spirit of freedom.
The artist's works are characterised by academic precision, a romantic mood, and a strong connection with Lithuanian history and cultural heritage. Antanas Zaleskis died in Florence in 1885.