*** individual artists illustrating boys fashions -- Leopold Pollak








Artists Illustrating Boys' Fashions: Leopold Pollak (Czech/Austrian/German/Italian, 1806-80)

Leopold Pollak

Figure 1.-- Although born in Bohemia, Pollak did much of his work in Italy. He was particularly known for charming genre images. The painting of an Italian peasant family here was done (1836). It shows a herdsman's family in the countryside near Rome. The herdsman is wearing a caracteristic hat worn by the herdsmen in the area as well as a skin. Although the two daughters are barefoot, they look to be wearing very nice dresses rather than their everyday clothing. These were probably dresses worn for church and special occasions like village festivals. The baby is unclothed, a romantic touch, but probably an accurate depiction.

Czech artist Leopold Pollak was born in Lodenitz (1806). This is a town in what is now the Czech Republic. At the time it was in Bohemia, part of the Austrian Empire which was under fire from Napoleon's French Empire. Leopold's father was a prosperous Jewish merchant. His talent for drawing was noted as a child. He entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (1819). He studied under the Director of the Academy Joseph Bergler for 5 years. He wnt on to study in Vienna under Johann Peter Krafft. His parents helped him move to Rome so he could finish his artististic education (1831). He studied under an established German arist, Leopold Schutz. He quickly joined the circle of German-speaking artists in Rome (1832). This was a natural development as Bohemia at the time was part of the German cultural sphere. It is difficult to define his nationality. He was born in Austrian Bohemia as part of a Jewish family raised in a German cultural meliu, and painted primarily in Italy (the Roman Papal States). Pollak was a founding member of the Deutscher Kunstler Verein (Federation of German artists). Much of his work was thus done in Italy. He was particularly known for charming genre images. The painting of an Italian peasant family here was done (1836). It shows a herdsman's family in the countryside near Rome. The herdsman is wearing a caracteristic hat worn by the herdsmen in the area as well as a skin. Although the two daughters are barefoot, they look to be wearing very nice dresses rather than their everyday clothing. These were probably dresses worn for church and special occasions like village festivals. The baby is unclothed, a romantic touch, but probably an accurate depiction. The major influence on his career was the German artist August Riedel who Pollak met in Rome. Pollak's work shows the influence of Riedel who was known for his marvelosly lit genre paintings of elegant peasant families outfitted in traditional costumes. Another influence was Leopold Robert, a French émigré artist, who also did genre work of Roman and Neapolitan peasants costmed in colourful costumes popularised by the Leopold Robert. Pollack's work at first attracted little attention (1830s). This eventually changed (1840s). Hw acquired a reputation for his sweetly painted genre paintings. They became very popular with aristocratic and royal art collections. Pollack maintained his contacts with Bohemia and sent many of his popular genre paintings for exhibition in Prague. He became a Roman citizen (1853). We bekieve this would have required him to convert to Christianity whioch he probably did earlier. We do not yet have details on this.







HBC






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Created: 1:47 AM 10/5/2012
Last updated: 1:47 AM 10/5/2012