Feliks Sypniewski

The recorded working language is Polish. The field of work recorded is painting. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are history. Places of work recorded in the authority are Warsaw. Work by Feliks Sypniewski is recorded in the collections of National Museum in Warsaw.

• Name — Feliks Sypniewski • Born — 1830 • Birthplace — Pępowo (Sypniewski family estate), Poland • Died — 1903 • Place of death — Paris, France • Known for — Painting

• Illustration — Sypniewski's Pempowo estate, place of Feliks' birth, photograph taken in 1890 It is unclear under what circumstances the estate of Feliks Sypniewski's parents was lost in the aftermath of 1830 November Uprising, but he was already born on or after Christmas on the extended family's Sypniewski estate at Skoraszewice near Pempowo (hence the often confusion with year of his birth: because the uprising have ended in 1831, and because of different calendars used in Congress Poland under Russian occupation, and in Grand Duchy of Poznań under German occupation). The enormous family estate is where, at early childhood, he developed riding skills and his lifelong fascination with horses. He was home schooled by private teachers, and his early painting teacher was Adolf Piwarski (son of Jan Piwarski, another Polish painter and professor of art), at that time young student himself under Sypniewski family patronage. Mostly self-taught, by the age of 20, Feliks Sypniewski was already established as excellent pencil, ink wash and watercolor portraitist and painter (his early "biblical series" of illustrations was very sought after by various publishers), as well as splendid equestrian.

• Illustration — Portrait of Feliks Sypniewski in 1858 (at age 28) by Antoni Murzynowski (crop of Murzynowski's painting "Wojciech Gerson and five artists in his Warsaw workshop") He lived and worked mostly in Poznań and Warsaw (both of these Polish cities were located in 2 separate countries after the Partitions of Poland and Vienna Congress), and by the age of 30 he was considered one of the most renowned Polish painters in his times. Very sociable and greatly popular not only in high society circles, also regarded as very handsome, Feliks was known for not letting go of any chance of romance. As a result of his impulsive love affairs, his first son Kazimierz was born to a lady in Warsaw (occupied by and part of Russia at that time), while Feliks was marrying another pregnant lady in Poznań (occupied by and part of Kingdom of Prussia at that time). It is unknown when (if at all) they had divorce, but around 1875-1880 Feliks appears to be a bachelor again. By the time he moved to Paris in 1890 he had several children, albeit only one legitimate son. Ironically, he died in his Paris house alone, and was buried at the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery under a false name (probably due to mispronunciation of his Polish surname).

When January Uprising exploded over Congress Poland in 1863, Feliks Sypniewski together with cousin Heinrich Sypniewski rushed to join Polish troops. However, having no military training whatsoever, Feliks was almost killed in a Russian ambush near the village of Klecz (or near the battle of Klecz). He barely survived and escaped alone thanks to his great horse riding skills. Following this near-death experience, and possibly realizing his lack of any military usefulness, he made no further attempts of joining the uprising while it lasted. It is unknown was he involved in other ways for the restitution of Poland during uprising, but there are no known documents of his political activity in that time.

• Illustration — "Before the Battle of Grunwald" (Przed bitwą pod Grunwaldem). Oil on canvas, 1852 • Illustration — "Battle of Grunwald" (Bitwa pod Grunwaldem). Watercolors, ink wash and pencil mix on paper with cardboard backing, circa 1848-1850 • Illustration — "Teutonic Knights after the Battle of Grunwald" (Po bitwie pod Grunwaldem). Oil on canvas, 1850. Painting has been stolen by Germans in 1945 and disappeared since. • Illustration — Prince Jozef Sypniewski. (Stolen by Germans in 1918 and never recovered?). • Illustration — "Poet Kochanowski is handing the Satir to Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland". Drawing, 1884 • Illustration — "The Charge" (Szarża). Watercolor on paper, ca.1860 • Illustration — "King Henry of Valois arrives at Miedzyrzecze Castle". Color ink drawing turned into woodcut magazine illustration, 1882. • Illustration — "A Landscape with a Bridge". Pencil on paper, 1857 • Illustration — "While harvesting". Color ink turned into woodcut illustration, 1885. • Illustration — "Battle with Ottoman Turks" (Walka z Turczynem). Watercolor on paper, ca. 1850. • Illustration — "The Hunt with Greyhounds". Oil on canvas, ca. 1870. • Illustration — "The Scouts", a.k.a. "The Riders" (Zwiad / Jeźdżcy). Oil on canvas, ca. 1860 • Illustration — "Janissar of the Lithuanian Troopers Banner". Watercolor on paper, 1851 • Illustration — "The Tree". Pencil on paper. 1857 • Illustration — "Equestrian Portrait" a.k.a. "Hussar" • Illustration — "Young Highlander". Oil on canvas, 1883. • Illustration — "A Farmhand on Horseback" (Parobek na koniu). Ink on paper, 1852 • Illustration — "Sitting Peasant" (Siedzący wieśniak). Ink on paper, 1852 • Illustration — "The Ancestors", a.k.a. "Sypniewskis at Palace in Homel" (sometimes mistakenly titled "Nobleman and Wife" or "Nobleman and Daughter"). Watercolor on paper, ca. 1870 • Illustration — "On the Bank of River Jordan" (Nad Jordanem), 1848. Part of Biblical illustrations series. Color ink on paper. • Illustration — "Mounted Rifleman of Polish Royal Guards". Watercolor on paper. • Illustration — "An Ambush" (Zasadzka). Oil on canvass, 1856.