Helena Unierzyska
Illustration — Helena Matejko by Jan Matejko, circa 1883 Helena Unierzyska née Matejko (6 April 1867 – 11 October 1932), was a Polish painter and sculptor, daughter of Poland's national painter Jan Matejko and his wife Teodora Giebułtowska who often posed for his paintings. She is best remembered as the live model for a series of her father's symbolic portraits of girls, and less as an aspiring artist.
Also recorded as Helena z Matejków Unierzyska
Helena Unierzyska
This file comes from The National Museum in Kraków Digital Collection and is available under the digital ID 501315 · Public domain
- Full name
- Helena Matejko.
- Born
- Helena Unierzyska was born on 1 April 1867. · Kraków.
- Died
- Helena Unierzyska died on 11 October 1932.
- Nationality
- Second Polish Republic
- Occupation
- painter · sculptor · model
- Honours
- Cross of Independence
- Languages
- Polish
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Illustration — Helena Matejko by Jan Matejko, circa 1883 Helena Unierzyska née Matejko (6 April 1867 – 11 October 1932), was a Polish painter and sculptor, daughter of Poland's national painter Jan Matejko and his wife Teodora Giebułtowska who often posed for his paintings. She is best remembered as the live model for a series of her father's symbolic portraits of girls, and less as an aspiring artist.
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wikidata · Q520581 · wikipedia · Helena Unierzyska
In this article
Biography
Biography
During her infancy, Helena lived with her parents in Krzesławice, a suburb of Kraków. She often assisted her father in his painting trips and daily studio sessions. On 24 June 1891, she married one of her father's students from the Academy of Fine Arts, painter Józef Unierzyski. Notably, her own mother disapproved of the match and did not attend the wedding ceremony. After the wedding, Helena and her husband went to live in Boleń, a village near Kraków. They had no children of their own, but adopted children from the village. Helena helped Polish victims in World War I and was awarded the Cross of Independence by Stanisław Wojciechowski in the interwar period.
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Helena Unierzyska was recorded at birth as Helena Matejko. The authorities additionally record the heading Helena z Matejków Unierzyska. Her recorded language was Polish. She was the child of Jan Matejko and Teodora Matejko. She married Józef Unierzyski.
Identity
Identity
Helena Unierzyska is recorded as a citizen of Second Polish Republic. Recorded with the occupation sculptor.
Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie; www.zbiory.mnk.pl;MNK III-ryc.-50990;fot. Karol Kowalik
grafika z albumu PL Stanisław Witkiewicz - 'Matejko'
Jan Matejko · This image has been extracted from another file
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1867
Helena Unierzyska was born on 1 April 1867.
1932
Helena Unierzyska died on 11 October 1932.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Helena Unierzyska was born in Kraków.
Birthplace
Kraków.
Birth place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q520581: Helena Unierzyska
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Helena Unierzyska”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 3
- Ciciora–Czwórnóg B., Jan Matejko, Kolekcja Muzeum Narodowego w Krakowie, Olszanica 2005; , ss. 5–8.
- Serafińska S., Jan Matejko. Wspomnienia rodzinne, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków 1958.
- Szypowska M., Jan Matejko wszystkim znany, Zarząd Krajowy Związku Młodzieży Wiejskiej; , Warszawa 1988.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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