Eligiusz Niewiadomski

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Eligiusz Niewiadomski (December 1, 1869 in Warsaw - January 31, 1923) was a Polish modernist painter and art critic, who belonged to the right-wing National Democratic Party in renascent Poland in the early 20th century. He is famous for his assassination of Poland's first President, Gabriel Narutowicz, in 1922.

[edit] Biography

Niewiadomski was born to a family of distant gentry descent. His father, Wincenty Niewiadomski of Prus Coat of Arms, was a veteran of the January Uprising and a worker at Warsaw's minting house. At the age of 2, Eligiusz lost his mother Julia, and was raised by his elder sister Cecylia. After graduating from a local trade school in 1888, Niewiadomski moved to St. Petersburg, where he continued his studies at the Imperial Academy of Arts. He graduated in 1894, as one of the best students, and won a scholarship to École Supérieure des Beaux-arts in Paris. After his return to Warsaw he became one of the students of Wojciech Gerson, one of the most notable Polish artists of the epoch.

Since 1897 he was a teacher of sketch at the Warsaw University of Technology. He also collaborated with a number of Warsaw-based magazines and newspapers as a journalist and art critic, which gained him considerable fame, mostly among the artists themselves. He became involved in various artistic movements, among them the "re-discovery" of the Tatra Mountains, which at the time attracted some of the most renown Polish painters, poets and writers as a source of inspiration. During that time Niewiadomski prepared and published a map of the Tatras, one of the first tourist maps of the area - ever. He also prepared a set of historical maps of Poland Album of the History of Poland (1899). Last but not least, he became involved in the reorganisation of the Zachęta art society. Using the contacts acquired there, he promoted the idea of creation of a separate Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. However, when the school was finally opened in 1903, Niewiadomski was not invited to it.

Politically, Niewiadomski was a strong supporter of nationalism, particularly the National League. In 1901 he was arrested by the tsarist police for smuggling in nationalist propaganda booklets from Galicia to the Vistulan Country. Although he was released after several months in the Pawiak prison, he lost his job at the University of Technology and fell in poverty. At that time his beliefs became extremely radical. During the Russo-Japanese War he promoted the idea of starting an anti-Russian sabotage action, for which he was excluded from the National League. In order to make his living, Niewiadomski started to give classes of art at numerous schools and churches in Poland. He also prepared the frescos in St. Bartholomew's church in Konin. However, his 2 volume long monography On Mediaeval Art sold poorly and Niewiadomski balanced on the verge of being forgotten by his contemporaries.

After the outbreak of World War I he remained in Warsaw, where he started publishing a number of brochures and manifestos, describing his views on the role of art. He also taught history and art at various schools. On March 1, 1918 he was appointed as the director of painting and sculpture department of the ministry of culture of the Regency Council, a post that was previously offered to numerous more notable artists who refused.

After Poland regained its independence Niewiadomski joined the Ministry of Culture of the newly-reborn country. During the Polish-Bolshevik War, in 1920 he tried to join the Polish Army, but was refused due to old age. However, he was accepted by the Polish intelligence and served as one of the people responsible for translation of Russian documents. During the last months of the war he finally managed to convince his superiors to move him to front line service and fought in the 5th Legions Infantry Regiment.

Demobilised in 1921, Niewiadomski returned to the ministry and continued his work there as a clerk. However, on November 8, 1921, after Antoni Ponikowski's government refused to grant Niewiadomski's department a higher budget, he resigned his post. Niewiadomski then devoted himself to writing and prepared several monographies on the Polish painting of 19th and 20th centuries, as well as on the theory of art. He made his living from illustrations to various books.

[edit] Assassination of Narutowicz

On December 9, 1922, Gabriel Narutowicz was elected by the National Assembly the first President of Poland. After a heated debate, Narutowicz's candidacy managed to gather 289 votes, including 113 votes of various national minority MPs. The defeated candidate of the National Democratic Party Maurycy Zamoyski gathered 227 votes, yet the National Democrats decided to boycott the president and announced that he was elected by the Reds, Jews and Germans rather than Poles. This started a period of civil unrest in Warsaw, where the supporters of nationalist ideas protested against the election of their president.

On December 16, 1922 the newly-elected president was present at an opening of an art exhibition at Zachęta Art Gallery. Niewiadomski, a frequent guest at such festivities, approached Narutowicz and shot him. Arrested, on December 30 he was sentenced to death (a penalty he proposed himself). He was shot by a firing squad in Citadel of Warsaw on January 31, 1923. His body was given to the family and buried at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

After his execution, Niewiadomski remained a largely disputed and controversial figure. His funeral was attended by 10,000 people and he was presented by some of the right-wing journalists as a national hero and a martyr.