Stephan Bakałowicz /Степан Бакалович (1857, Warsaw -1947, Rome) was a Polish painter from Warsaw, famous in the Russian Empire. He was noted for his paintings on the subjects of Ancient Rome.
From 1936 he was a member of authorities of Polish Association of Artists - "The Capitol".
Bakałowicz was born in Warsaw, into an artistic Polish family. His father was a painter, his mother an actress and so it was only natural for the boy to be drawn to a career in the arts.
He received his first painting lessons from his father and then went on to study at the Warsaw School of Art before joining the Saint Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts in 1876.
Studied at the School of Drawing in Warsaw, Wojciech Gerson’s private studio (1874-76), Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg (1876-81) and the School of Fine Arts in Cracow (1881-82).
Foreign fellow of the Imperial Academy of Arts (1881-86). Academician from 1886.
He was a brilliant student, winning numerous medals and awards for his praised works and he was eventually granted a scholarship which enabled him to travel extensively for the next few years.
He visited Paris, Rome, Egypt and Algeria, trips which imbued his paintings with a noticeable exoticism as seen in his beautiful "Prayer of Khonsu" from 1904.
During his stay in Italy, Bakalowicz spent time in Naples, Pompeii and Capri. He avidly studied Ancient art and in a quest to broaden his knowledge of all things Greco-Roman, even took part in archaeological excavations.
He is often compared today to the British artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema for his classical renderings of beautiful figures in blissful environments.
Bakałowicz, Stefan - Pittore nato a Varsavia nel 1857. Studiò prima (1873) nella scuola di disegno di Varsavia, sotto la direzione di Adalberto Gerson e di Alessandro Kamieński, in seguito nell'accademia di belle arti a Pietroburgo, dove si licenziò brillantemente, vincendo i concorsi per la medaglia d'oro e per una borsa all'estero.
Si recò a Parigi ed a Roma e qui si stabilì dal 1882.
Numerosi suoi quadri, ispirati alla vita di Roma antica, gli valsero grandi successi e furono acquistati dai musei imperiali russi e della corte.
Nel 1903 soggiornò in Egitto e nel 1921 a Tripoli, distinguendosi come pittore del paesaggio africano.
Una esposizione dei soggetti tripolitani, organizzata nel 1921 al Museo coloniale, sotto il patronato del Ministero delle colonie, trovò larghi consensi.
Molte sue opere furono acquistate da autorità e da privati. Il Bakalowicz è anche distinto ritrattista. | Mattia Loret © Treccani Enciclopedia Italiana