Olga Boznanska (1865-1940) was a Polish artist and a central figure in the Young Poland movement. While her art was stylistically similar to the Impressionists, she never used that label to describe her artwork. She wanted to become a painter but was unable to attend the Munich Academy as women were not allowed at the time. She took lessons from private tutors instead, studying the works of great masters while she trained. Her artwork was highly successful, and many of her pieces were displayed in museums around the world, including the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburg.
Boznanska’s personal life was turbulent from a young age. Her mother developed tuberculosis and many art historians believe her father abused the family. Most of her family had died by the time she reached adulthood. While training to become a painter, she moved to Paris by herself. Her sister followed soon after. Boznanska’s sister, Isabel, later died in her apartment. Boznanska never married or had any children, and spent her life by herself in Paris and Munich until the age of 75.
She painted landscapes and still-lives but she focused primarily on painting women and young girls. The portraits focus on portraying the character, personality, and psychology of the women and girls. Her portraits are described as having a sad or melancholy feeling to them. Throughout most of Europe, Boznanska is largely forgotten, but she is recognized as one of the most important painters in Poland. She received many awards, and large exhibitions of her work were held in 2015 at the National Museums in Krakow and Warsaw.
References:
https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/olga-boznanska/
https://culture.pl/en/artist/olga-boznanska
https://www.porta-polonica.de/en/atlas-of-remembrance-places/olga-boznanska