Description:
Peter Stachiewicz (1858-1938). After graduating from the Lviv Polytechnic, he studied at the School of Fine Arts in Krakow. The artist’s mentors were Feliks Szynalewski, Władysław Łuszczkiewicz, Florian Cynk and Leopold Loeffler. In the years 1882-1884 he studied at the Munich Academy with Otto Seitz. After a trip through Europe, he settled permanently in Krakow. From 1900 he held the position of Vice President of the Society of Friends of Fine Arts in Krakow, he was also an honorary member of the Warsaw TPSP. In his work he dealt with academic painting on religious topics, or inspired by folk legends. He was also inspired by literary motifs. It was characteristic of the artist to create drawing or painting cycles.

Description of the painting:
The sketch shows the slightly tilted to the right head of a young woman in a frontal view. The chin-length collar topped with a ruffle forms a kind of decorative base for the face of the “Queen”. The woman’s gaze is directed to the right, slightly down. The oval face has a stern, just face, the mimic is poor. It is surrounded by a parted partition of hair, probably tied at the back of the head. On it is placed a thin crown with three decorative fleurons in the form of stylized lilies or acanthus leaves. The classic features of the face and the way in which the model’s gaze is portrayed give it a loftiness and majesty appropriate to its dignity.