Helena Matejko Unierzyski (1867 - 1932) - Polish

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 painter

Painting

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

 and sculptor, daughter of Jan Matejko

Jan Matejko

Jan Matejko was a Polish painter known for paintings of notable historical Polish political and military events. His most famous works include oil on canvas paintings like Battle of Grunwald, paintings of numerous other battles and court scenes, and a gallery of Polish kings...

 and Teodora Giebułtowka

Teodora Matejko

Teodora Matejkowa, née Giebułtowska , - the daughter of Antoni Giebułtowski and Paulina Sikorska, and the wife of the Polish painter Jan Matejko....

.

Biography

During her infancy she lived with her parents in Krzesławice

Krzesławice

Krzesławice may refer to the following places in Poland:*Krzesławice, Lesser Poland Voivodeship*Krzesławice, Masovian Voivodeship*Krzesławice, part of the Wzgórza Krzesławickie district of Kraków...

 and Cracow. She was very sickly when she was a child. On 24 June 1891 she married a painter

Painting

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

 Józef Unierzyski. After their wedding they went to Boleń - a village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 near Kraków

Kraków

Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...

. She had no children, but she adopted few village children. Helena was a patriot

Patriotism

Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...

 and she helped victims in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 and was awarded the Cross of Independence

Cross of Independence

Cross of Independence was one of the highest Polish military decorations between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had "fought heroically for the independence of Poland," and was released in three versions.- History :...

 by president

President

A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...

 Stanisław Wojciechowski.

Sources

• Ciciora–Czwórnóg B., Jan Matejko, Kolekcja Muzeum Narodowego w Krakowie, Olszanica 2005, ISBN 83-89747-16-2, ss. 5–8.
• Serafińska S., Jan Matejko. Wspomnienia rodzinne, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków 1958.
• Szypowska M., Jan Matejko wszystkim znany, Zarząd Krajowy Związku Młodzieży Wiejskiej, ISBN 83-00-02435-2, Warszawa 1988.
• Helena Matejko