Karol D. Witkowski
Karol D. Witkowski was a Polish-American portraitist and genre painter, better known in the US as Karl Witkowski. He painted scenes of contemporary daily life in America.
Biography
Karol Dominik Witkowski was born to a Polish family in Jazłowiec, near Buchach, Czortków.As a child he showed a precocious talent for drawing and his parents sent him to school in Chortkiv. In 1879 he enlisted in the Austrian Army, where he gained popularity by making portraits of fellow soldiers and commanding officers, including a portrait of General Duke William of Württemberg and a portrait of Lieutenant Field Marshal Emanuel Salomon Friedberg-Mírohorský. In 1880 Witkowski left the army and moved to Kraków, where from 1881 to 1883 he studied arts at the Academy of Fine Arts under the directorship of Jan Matejko. Witkowski also studied arts in Munich under Karl von Piloty. Around 1884 Witkowski emigrated from Poland, like many others, and went to America, where he stayed for three years. During that time he created his first famous paintings of young people. In 1887 he left America and arrived in France. In Paris Witkowski studied at the Julian Academy and continued to work on paintings and portraits. Most of his paintings done there he signed with the added initial of author's second name. Among Witkowski's painting done in France were Portrait de Tomas Milatycki and Mother with Children.
In 1889 Witkowski returned to America and stayed for over 20 years until his death. During those years, besides portraits of the elite in New York City and Newark areas, he made over 200 paintings of young people, their daily life, at work and at play, often with their pets. The style of these paintings recalls the style of John George Brown to some extent. Most of these paintings were signed ”K. Witkowski”. From 1891 until his death his paintings were available for sale at various auctions and picture galleries of New York City area. For some time he had his own studio in Brooklyn, New York.
Upon his arrival in the United States in 1884, Witkowski lived in New York City, later moving to Newark in 1891, and then to Irvington, South Orange, and Vailsburg, Newark.
Witkowski died on May 17, 1910, in Newark, from blood poisoning, survived by his wife. Witkowski died at the height of his artistic powers. In 1909 he registered 8 paintings through the United States Copyright Office and in just a few months of 1910 he created and registered 14 pieces more, also in the last months of his life, he exhibited his work at the State Fair of Texas and galleries of New York City.
Paintings
Karl Witkowski painted the elite in Newark and his skills as a portraitist to the wealthy were always in demand. He painted newsboys and street urchins in Newark combining sentimentalism and realism. Karl Witkowski as an eminent European artist gave an entirely new study in American newsboy life, his paintings have a characteristic humor and brightness, they are serious or humorous.Paintings executed by Witkowski during his time in the United States:A Can of WormsA Good CatchAfter a RaidAnticipation April ShowersBoy with an AppleBoys Playing MarblesCaught OneDrawin your PictureExpecting a BoomFeeding His PetsFishing Flower SellerGame of MarblesGoing SleighingGone FishingGuarding the Flower BasketShoeshine Boy His Favorite Flower, 36 x 42 inchesKnucks DownLook What I HaveMending the BaseballMy PigeonsOne for TwoPartnersPlaying a TunePlaying with FireSecretsSharing SolitudeSteady, oil on canvas 20 x 24 inchesStreet UrchinsTeasing my Best FriendThe PetsThe Slingshot Three NewsboysTwo Girls Playing in a Field of DaisiesUnder the MistletoeWaiting for a BiteYoung ArtistBoyish Pranks, 1885Portrait of a Woman, 1885Pick a Hand, 1889Shoeshine Boys, 1889Their First Smoke, 1889Stealing Apples, 1890Shoeshine Boy, 1891First Cigarettes, 1892One Paper Left, 1898The War News, 1898Newsboy, 1899A Borrowed Light, Copyright 1900, 24 x 30 inches.A Boutonniere, Copyright 1900, 20 x 30 inches A Little Bum, Copyright 1900, 16 x 24 inches A News Girl, Copyright 1900, 14 x 20 inches A Sybarite, Copyright 1900, 20 x 24 inches Admiration, 1900Gathering Daisies, 1900Refreshments, Copyright 1900, 20 x 24 inches To Swap or Not to Swap?, Copyright 1900, 24 x 30 inches Young Woman with Chrysanthemum, 1900A Born Artist, Copyright 1901 A Boy, Copyright 1901.A Bunch of Carnations, Copyright 1901 A Business Transaction, Copyright 1901, November 28, 1900, 20 x 30 inchesA Girl's Head, Copyright 1901, 12 x 14 inchesA Little Musician, Copyright 1901, 20 x 24 inchesA Park Row Gallant, Copyright 1901 A Sign of Hard Wear, Copyright 1901 A Solo, Copyright 1901, December 21, 1900, 24 x 20 inchesA Thorn, Copyright 1901, December 21, 1900, 21 x 17 inchesAn Unpleasant Situation, Copyright 1901 Born Talent, Copyright 1901 Boy Eating Orange, Copyright 1901 Boy with Orange, Copyright 1901 Brother and Sister, Copyright 1901 Fruit Eaters, Copyright 1901, 24 x 30 inches Got Change, Copyright 1901Helping Himself, Copyright 1901 Newsboy and Flower Girl, Copyright 1901, March 13, 1901 & May 8, 1901 Partners, Copyright 1901, November 28, 1900Taking a Rest, Copyright 1901 The Dudes, Copyright 1901 The Little Organist, Copyright 1901 The Partners, Copyright 1901 The Reader, Copyright 1901 The Stubborn Eve, Copyright 1901Portrait of Monsignor George Hobart Doane, 1902 Rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral, NewarkA Flower Girl, Copyright 1902 A Goldfish, Copyright 1902 A Musical Boy, Copyright 1902, watercolor A New Scheme, Copyright 1902 A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned, Copyright 1902, December 6, 1901/ January 9, 1902 A Prosperous Business Man, Copyright 1902 An Unsolicited Testimonial, Copyright 1902 Anticipation of Enjoyment, Copyright 1902 Boy Resting, Copyright 1902, watercolor 16 x 16 inches Feather in His Hat, Copyright 1902 In Fairyland, Copyright 1902 Marketing, Copyright 1902 Neighbors, Copyright 1902 The Critic, Copyright 1902The Flower Girl, Copyright 1902, oil painting 24 x 20 inches The Picture Book, Copyright 1902 Portrait of Charles Edward McDonnell, 1903 Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn A Stitch in Time Saves Nine, Copyright 1903, oil painting Another Cup, Please, Copyright 1903 Begging for Cherries, 1903Boy with Cat, Copyright 1903, watercolor 17 x 13 1/2 inches Cash is the Thing, Copyright 1903, watercolor 14 1/2 x 20 inches Clear Profits, Copyright 1903, oil on canvas 20 x 24 inches First Earnings, Copyright 1903, oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches Halloween, Copyright 1903, oil on canvas Raking in the Money, Copyright 1903 The Repast, Copyright 1903, oil on canvas 20 x 24 inches Eating Cherries on a Summer Day, Copyright May 24, 1904 See the Conquering Hero Comes, Copyright 1904The Temptation of Adam, exhibited in 1902Waitin' to Git Even, Copyright 1905 Friends, Copyright 1906 Private Rehearsal, Copyright 1906 Among the Daisies, Copyright 1907 Bonfire, Copyright 1907, oil on canvas 20 x 24 inches Children with Parasol, Copyright 1907 First Love, Copyright 1907 Happy Days, Copyright 1907 Mouthpiece Player, Copyright 1907 painting Nibbles, Copyright 1907 Polly Want a Cracker, Copyright 1907 Speckled Beaty, Copyright 1907, Landscape by G. Glenn, painting Sure Shot, Copyright 1907 The Call, Copyright 1907 The Duet, Copyright 1907 Three Newsboys, Copyright 1907 Boy Warming His Hands, Copyright 1908, Dec 20, 1907 Boys Lighting a Paper Lantern, Copyright 1908 Boys Reading a Paper, Copyright 1908 Day is Over, Copyright 1908, Dec 20, 1907 Fishing Boys, Copyright 1908 Greatest Show on Earth, Copyright 1908 Paper Lantern, Copyright 1908 Saturday, Copyright 1908 Sweethearts, Copyright 1908 The Hustlers, Copyright 1908 A Question, Copyright 1909 First Lesson, Copyright 1909, Dec 17, 1908 Happy Days 1909, Copyright 1909, Dec 21, 1908 Home from Fishing, Copyright 1909 It's Up to Me 1909, Copyright On the Swing 1909, Copyright Preparing for Xmas 1909, Copyright Taking the New Pup Home, Copyright 1909 Campers 1910, Copyright 1910 Can't You Talk?, Copyright 1910 Caught, Copyright 1910 Happy Days, Copyright 1910 Last Chance, Copyright 1910 Leap Year, Copyright 1910 Paper Sir?, Copyright 1910 Roastin' Taters, Copyright 1910 Solid Comfort, Copyright 1910 The Flirt, Copyright 1910 The Intruder, Copyright 1910 We Won, Copyright 1910 Will You, Copyright 1910 Winter Sports, Copyright 1910 Work before Play, Copyright 1910
Exhibited
Karol Witkowski has exhibited his paintings in New York several times each year between 1891 and 1910. His paintings have been exhibited at auctions and galleries of New York, such as: Theodore Stewart's Sallon, Henry C. Merry Auction, Schenck Art Gallery, P. H. McMahon Auction, WM. B. Norman Auction, James P. Silo Auction, Rohlf's Gallery, Mathews's Art Galleries, John Fell O'Brien Art Galleries, Woehr Brothers Auction, Woehr Bros Gallery, John J. Pigot Galleries & Loeser Art Galleries.Also in 1909, Witkowski exhibited at State Fair of Texas.