Objects

Leopold Gottlieb (1879, Drohobycz [Drohobych]–1934, Paris) was born into an assimilated Jewish industrialist’s family abounding in artistic talent. He was the younger brother of painter Maurycy. In 1896–1902, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków under Jacek Malczewski and Teodor Axentowicz. After graduating, he left Kraków and moved to Munich, where he painted copies of Dutch masterpieces at the Alte Pinakothek. In the years 1906–1908, he stayed in Jerusalem, where he was the head of the Painting Department at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. In 1908, he returned to the French capital and mingled with the local bohemian artists. He fought in the ranks of the Polish Legions during World War I. As a soldier, he made drawings documenting his military life. After the war, he opened a studio in Vienna and lived in Germany for quite a long time. Early in his career, he mostly painted portraits, but he later branched out to tackle religious themes. In the 1920s, he expanded his repertoire to landscapes and group scenes. He also produced prints.