Karol (Karl) D. Witkowski (16 August 1860, Yazlovets, now in Chortkiv Raion – 17 May 1910) was a Polish-American portraitist and genre painter, better known in the US as Karl Witkowski. He painted scenes of contemporary daily life in America.
Biography
Karol Dominik Witkowski was born to a Polish family in Jazłowiec (Jaslowiec), near Buchach, Czortków (Podole, Poland, now Ukraine).
As a child he showed a precocious talent for drawing and his parents sent him to school in Chortkiv (12 miles from Yazlovets). In 1879 he enlisted in the Austrian Army (19th-century southern Poland was occupied by Austria and was part of Galicia), where he gained popularity by making portraits of fellow soldiers and commanding officers, including a portrait of General Duke William of Württemberg and a portrait of Lieutenant Field Marshal Emanuel Salomon Friedberg-Mírohorský. In 1880 Witkowski left the army and moved to Kraków, where from 1881 to 1883 he studied arts at the Academy of Fine Arts under the directorship of Jan Matejko. Witkowski also studied arts in Munich under Karl von Piloty. Around 1884 Witkowski emigrated from Poland, like many others, and went to America, where he stayed for three years. During that time he created his first famous paintings of young people. In 1887 he left America and arrived in France. In Paris Witkowski studied at the Julian Academy (1887-1888) and continued to work on paintings and portraits. Most of his paintings done there he signed with the added initial of author's second name (K.D. Witkowski). Among Witkowski's painting done in France were Portrait de Tomas Milatycki and Mother with Children.
In 1889 Witkowski returned to America and stayed for over 20 years until his death. During those years, besides portraits of the elite in New York City and Newark areas, he made over 200 paintings of young people (mostly newsboys and shoeshine boys), their daily life, at work and at play, often with their pets. The style of these paintings recalls the style of John George Brown to some extent. Most of these paintings were signed ”K. Witkowski”. From 1891 until his death his paintings were available for sale at various auctions and picture galleries of New York City area. For some time he had his own studio in Brooklyn, New York (1903).
Upon his arrival in the United States in 1884, Witkowski lived in New York City (from 1884 to 1887 and again from 1889 to 1891), later moving to Newark in 1891, and then to Irvington, South Orange, and Vailsburg, Newark.
Witkowski died on May 17, 1910, in Newark, from blood poisoning, survived by his wife. Witkowski died at the height of his artistic powers. In 1909 he registered 8 paintings through the United States Copyright Office and in just a few months of 1910 he created and registered 14 pieces more, also in the last months of his life, he exhibited his work at the State Fair of Texas and galleries of New York City.
Paintings Karl Witkowski painted the elite in Newark, New Jersey. He painted newsboys and street urchins in Newark. As a European-trained artist, he offered a distinctive portrayal of American newsboy life. His paintings are noted for their characteristic humor and brightness, ranging from lighthearted scenes to more reflective compositions .
Paintings executed by Witkowski during his time in the United States: A Can of Worms A Good CatchBrooklyn Art Sales appearing in The Brooklyn Standard Union on 13 May 1904, featuring Witkowski's A Good Catch After a Raid Anticipation (The Bubble Blower) April Showers Boy with an Apple Boys Playing MarblesLoeser Picture Sale appearing in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on 23 January 1910, featuring Witkowski's Boys Playing Marbles Caught One Drawin your Picture Expecting a Boom Feeding His PetsLoeser Store appearing in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on 24 January 1910, featuring Witkowski's Feeding His Pets Fishing (three boys fishing)John Wanamaker Store (print advertisement) appearing in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on 26 March 1912, featuring Witkowski's Fishing] Flower Seller Game of Marbles Going Sleighingappearing in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on 8 March 1907, featuring Witkowski's Going Sleighing Gone Fishing Guarding the Flower Basket Shoeshine Boy (Harmonica Player) His Favorite Flower, 36 x 42 inchesThe Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 11, 1917 A group of paintings by American Artists Knucks Down Look What I Have Mending the Baseball My Pigeons One for Two PartnersSale at Loeser Art Galleries appearing in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on 23 July 1905, featuring Witkowski's Partners Playing a Tune Playing with Fire Secrets Sharing (two street urchins in a street about to eat an apple which the smaller boy is dividing) SolitudeJohn Wanamaker appearing in The New York Herald on 11 May 1911, featuring Witkowski's Solitude Steady, oil on canvas 20 x 24 inchesThe Brooklyn Daily Eagle 1905 Street Urchins Teasing my Best Friend The PetsLoeser Art Galleries appearing in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on 7 September 1906, featuring Witkowski's The Pets The Slingshot (The Little Hunter) Three Newsboys Two Girls Playing in a Field of Daisies Under the Mistletoe Waiting for a Bite Young ArtistLoeser Art Galleries appearing in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on 28 October 1906, featuring Witkowski's Young Artist Boyish Pranks, 1885 Portrait of a Woman, 1885 Pick a Hand, 1889 Shoeshine Boys, 1889 Their First Smoke, 1889 Stealing Apples, 1890 Shoeshine Boy, 1891 First Cigarettes, 1892 One Paper Left, 1898 The War News, 1898 Newsboy, 1899 A Borrowed Light, Copyright 1900, 24 x 30 inches (a barefooted boy, holding a lighted cigarette, is leaning against a board fence; a newsboy, with a bunch of papers under his left arm).Catalog of Title Entries of Books Etc. Oct 4-Dec 27 Fourth Quarter 1900 vol 25, Newark, N. J. A Boutonniere, Copyright 1900, 20 x 30 inches (little girl with plain dress, without jacket, is putting carnation into button- hole of the newsboy's coat, The boy is leaning against a gray stone wall and has a newspaper in his left hand) A Little Bum, Copyright 1900, 16 x 24 inches (a street urchin, in dark brown shirt and dark blue knee pants, is sitting on a board box on the sidewalk. In right hand he holds lighted cigarette) A News Girl, Copyright 1900, 14 x 20 inches (a little girl, with dark brown hair, is holding a bunch of newspapers under her arm; half figure) A Sybarite, Copyright 1900, 20 x 24 inches (newsboy sitting on open board box, near a fence, smoking. Holds lighted cigarette in right hand and is exhaling the smoke; lace is almost profile) Admiration, 1900 Gathering Daisies, 1900 Refreshments, Copyright 1900, 20 x 24 inches (a newsboy is sitting on an open box, leaning against a fence, eating an orange. Has on white shirt with light blue stripes. Sunny effect, Face, three-quarter position) To Swap or Not to Swap?, Copyright 1900, 24 x 30 inches (figure of newsboy and little flower girl. The boy has a newspaper in right hand and has his left hand placed on girl's shoulder and is trying to swap his last paper for the rose held by girl) Young Woman with Chrysanthemum, 1900 A Born Artist, Copyright 1901 (a boy dressed in striped shirt and blue overalls and tattered cap is seated on board box, drawing a picture on the wall)Catalog of Title Entries of Books Etc. July 4-September 26, Third Quarter 1901 A Boy, Copyright 1901 (sitting on a box near a gray wall holding a file of newspapers on his lap). A Bunch of Carnations, Copyright 1901 (two figures. Boy trying to smell a bunch of carnations held by a fair-haired girl)Catalog of Title Entries of Books Etc. April 4-June 27, Second Quarter 1901 A Business Transaction, Copyright 1901, November 28, 1900, 20 x 30 inchesCatalog of Title Entries of Books Etc. January-March First Quarter 1901 A Girl's Head, Copyright 1901, 12 x 14 inches A Little Musician, Copyright 1901, 20 x 24 inches A Park Row Gallant, Copyright 1901 (news girl sitting on board box on a street pavement) A Sign of Hard Wear, Copyright 1901 (little boy sitting on a wooden box; boy has on blue overalls torn at the knees) A Solo, Copyright 1901, December 21, 1900, 24 x 20 inches A Thorn, Copyright 1901, December 21, 1900, 21 x 17 inches An Unpleasant Situation, Copyright 1901 (little boy dressed in light blue shirt, red cap with white dots, tattered bluish pants, is holding three loaves of bread) Born Talent, Copyright 1901 (boy sitting on box near wall; wears brown hat, white-striped shirt, blue overalls, tan shoes. Boy is drawing on box) Boy Eating Orange, Copyright 1901 (boy sitting on fruit basket eating an orange; wears brown hat, white-striped shirt, bluish-gray pants, black stockings, torn hat) Boy with Orange, Copyright 1901 (smiling boy sitting on a peach basket peeling an orange) Brother and Sister, Copyright 1901 (boy and girl sitting on sidewalk near wall)Catalog of Title Entries of Books Etc. October 3-December 26, Fourth Quarter 1901 Fruit Eaters, Copyright 1901, 24 x 30 inches (double figure painting. Little girl with dark curly hair, white dress, is sitting on wooden box, holding a square basket of peaches) Got Change, Copyright 1901 Helping Himself, Copyright 1901 (boy sitting on a box holding an apple in his hand) Newsboy and Flower Girl, Copyright 1901, March 13, 1901 & May 8, 1901 (newsboy with a file of papers under his left arm is leaning over to smell a bouquet of flowers) Partners, Copyright 1901, November 28, 1900 Taking a Rest, Copyright 1901 (boy sitting on ground holding a red handkerchief full of apples) The Dudes, Copyright 1901 (two boys walking on the sidewalk. Background wall; one boy is dressed in dark blue hat, brownish grey coat) The Little Organist, Copyright 1901 (boy of about seven years of age playing a mouth organ) The Partners, Copyright 1901 (two boys sitting on a board box near a wall; one boy holds a paper bag in his right hand and is trying to get something out of it with his left) The Reader, Copyright 1901 (a boy sitting on a square piece of stone, near a light grey wall, holding paper in his hands and smiling at its contents) The Stubborn Eve, Copyright 1901 Portrait of Monsignor George Hobart Doane, 1902 Rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Newark A Flower Girl, Copyright 1902 (little girl with dark curly hair, wearing pink dress, red ribbon in hair, is pouring water from a glass into a pot containing a geranium)Catalog of Title Entries of Books Etc. April-June Second Quarter 1902 A Goldfish, Copyright 1902 (little fair-haired girl, sitting before a table upon which stands a glass bowl filled with aquatic plants) A Musical Boy, Copyright 1902, watercolor (boy, half figure; boy's face is smiling) A New Scheme, Copyright 1902 (two boys standing near a wall, smaller boy leaning against a box, larger boy telling him of a new scheme) A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned, Copyright 1902, December 6, 1901/ January 9, 1902 (small boy sitting on wooden box, dressed in overalls, striped waist and tattered cap)Catalog of Title Entries of Books Etc. January-March 1902, First Quarter 1902 A Prosperous Business Man, Copyright 1902 (small boy sitting on stone walk, left arm resting on sidewalk) An Unsolicited Testimonial, Copyright 1902 (little girl seated at table pouring tea, wears dark dress and white apron) Anticipation of Enjoyment, Copyright 1902 (boy, half figure, wears a black cap, blue coat, and red shirt) Boy Resting, Copyright 1902, watercolor 16 x 16 inches (half figure of newsboy leaning against post) Feather in His Hat, Copyright 1902 (girl and boy sitting on wooden boxes near corner of brick wall) In Fairyland, Copyright 1902 (little girl with fair, curly hair, wearing light red dress, sitting near a table reclining against green cushion) Marketing, Copyright 1902 (little girl with brown hair wearing red dress and white apron, coming from market)