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Oil on canvas Poland, 1922 Wojciech Kossak (1857-1942) - Major panoramic and battle painter Signed and dated lower right 'Wojciech Kossak 1922' A similar work in a larger format can be found in the Museum of the Polish Army in Warsaw Dimensions framed: 72 x 103 cm Good Condition Provenance: Berlin private collection A typical motif for Kossak; battle scenes by the artist fetch up to 64,000 euros on the art market This magnificent oil painting by the famous painter of battle scenes Wojciech Kossak was executed in 1922. It shows the general Józef Longin Sowiński shortly before his death during the final days of the Polish November Uprising in 1831. The general fell after a bloody battle between the Polish defenders and the Russian troops near the Warsaw suburb of Wola. Armed with only a bayonet rifle Sowiński defies the Russian soldiers engaging from the left. On the right a church, flanked by tall trees, can be discerned. The backdrop is built by the sky traversed by thick fog from the firefight. The military motif, characteristic of Kossak's oeuvre, is executed with great virtuosity. The scene is endowed with a patriotic mood without appearing staged and histrionic. A similar work by the artist from 1923, in a larger format, can be found in the Museum of the Polish Army in Warsaw. This depicts the death of the general on the redoubt. The painting by Wojciech Kossak is in good with minimal colour abrasions along the lower border and a minor touch-ups to the right tree next to the chapel. The stretcher frame comes slightly apparent under the canvas. The work is signed and dated lower right 'Wojciech Kossak 1922'. The frame shows slight signs of age and wear. Framed the work measures 72 x 103 cm, the stretcher frame measures 61 x 93 cm. Wojciech Kossak (1857-1942) Wojciech Kossak was born as son of the famous Polish painter Juliusz Kossak in Paris in 1857. At the age of 14 he started devoting himself to painting and studied in Krakow, Munich and Paris. At the end of the 19th Century, he became known for his large circular paintings, which were considered very modern at the time. His popularity was increased due to his participation in the creation of the monumental Racławice Panorama. In 1895 Kossak went to Berlin where he continued to paint battle scenes as well as portraits. In 1913 he accepted a professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw before going to war. Thereafter he lived in the U.S. for several years. Kossak's oeuvre is determined by subject matter from Polish history. His son Jerzy Kossak also became known as a horse and battle painter.