Kucharski Alexander

Kucharski Alexander (ur. 18.03.1741 Warsaw, zm. 05.11.1819 Paris).
He probably studied with Bacciarelli in Warsaw; from 1760 at least at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris under the supervision of Joseph-Marie Vien and Carl Van I.oo as a scholarship holder of Stanisław August Poniatowski. Against the wishes of the patron, who wanted to see him as the creator of great compositions “historical”, he specialized in portrait painting. After pausing in 1767 the scholarship did not give up studying in France, where he remained for the rest of his life. During his studies, he was awarded three times: in June 1760 received the Academy Medal for the painting Manue's sacrifice; w 1763 and 1769 the so-called. expression price for a head study. Kucharski in Paris was popular as a portraitist of the French aristocracy, not only in the period ancien regime u, but also Napoleonic and Restaurants. He specialized in the pastel technique, he also painted miniatures. W 1776 he was a drawing teacher at the French royal house, a w 1778 – at the Dukes de Conde. Among his portraits, the images of the architect C.. B. Dumonta, Dukes de Conde, the palace lady of the dolphin's wife, de Juigne awnings, hr. by Polastron, markizy de Lage de Volude, and from the royal family, incl. hr. from Artois, brother of Louis XVI and his sister Elizabeth; he also painted Karol Ludwik the dolphin several times (twice in 1792), modeling on the miniature always worn by Marie Antoinette. He portrayed the queen twice: w 1791 at the Tuilleries Palace, when she was under guard (infinite portrait) i w 1793 in Conciergerie Prison, to which he got secretly. These portraits ensured the artist recognition of the French aristocracy. He repeated both images of the queen many times, both the artist himself, as well as other painters, possibly also Anglee Barbot, the only known student of Kucharski, which copied many of his other works. Louis XVIII, after returning to France, granted the painter financial grants, and from 1815, when Kucharski was already in the Sainte-Perine shelter, he paid him a monthly salary until his death. In France, Kucharski also painted several portraits of Poles, m.in.: Michał Wielhorski, Maria and Teresa Czartoryski, Józef Sapieha and, perhaps, Ignacy and Stanisław Kostka Potocki.

Portrait of Luizy d Esparbes, Countess de Polastron, 1789
pastek, oval,
Versailles collection of Viscountess de Fontenay;