Sorin IFTIMI, PORTRETISTICA PICTORULUI LUDOVIC STAWSKI (1807-1896)

Buletinul ”Ioan Neculce” al Muzeului de Istorie a Moldovei – XIX / 2013

Abstract

Ludovic Stawski, an artist of polish origin, is one of the painters whose activity os closely linked to the town of Iaşi. Although his career here was a long one, few of his paintings survived to the present. Most of the works signed by or attributed to Stawski were gathered in the collection of the Iaşi Art Museum. The painter’s work did not benefited of a dedicated study, only of short references in general art history works. Stawski taught drawing at the Girls’ School in Iaşi, at least between 1839 and 1860. Although he made several portraits, he is known for the painted ceilings of Iordache Rosetti-Roznovanu’s mansion (no longer extant) and for Panorama of the city of Iasi in 1842.

The portrait of Bucur family made by Stawski (1848) includes him in the category of group-portrait painters, together with Livaditti. We identified seversal previously unknown portraits, which are now completing the work of Ludovic Stawski: The Logofăt Alecu Ghica (1845), original, and Gheorghe Săulescu (c. 1840), preserved only as copies, made by Gh. Panaiteanu-Bardasare and C.D. Stahi.

The civil records give evidence for the fact the painter lived another decade beyond of what was previously known (1887/1896); unfortunately this last decade is lacking any known artistic activity. A special discussion is carried out about the signatures present on Ludovic/Ioan Stawski’ s paintings, as these are of different shape. Finally, we attempted to outline some stylistic features, which would define the artistic profile of , Ludovic Stawski.