Bronisław Kłobucki Explained

Bronisław Kłobucki
Native Name Lang:pl
Birth Date:21 June 1896
Birth Place:Bromberg,
Death Place:Battle of Arnhem, Netherlands
Nationality:Polish
Known For:Sculpture

Bronisław Kłobucki (1896–1944), was a Polish sculptor and painter whose works are associated with Bydgoszcz and its region.

Biography

Youth in Prussian Bromberg

His parents were Stanisław and Marcjanna, née Strysik. They moved to Bydgoszcz in 1894, coming from the village of Taszewskie Pole, near Jeżewo (Świecie county), as the father, a master carpenter, found work in the locally well-known furniture factory of Otto Pfefferkon, then located in Bahnhoffstraße.[1]

Little is known about the artist's early youth. In 1910, he graduated from the "Folk School" (Polish: Szkoła ludowa) in Szwederowo.[2]

First World War

During First World War, Bronisław was drafted into the German army: in 1915, he fought on the western front.[2]

In the spring of 1918, he fled to France and joined the nascent Polish army. He returned to Poland in the ranks of General Józef Haller's "Blue Army".

Interwar period

Released from the army, Bronisław began in 1921 his artistic education at the State School of Art Industry in Bydgoszcz, at 37 Świętej Trójcy street, where he studied sculpture in the class of professors Jan Wysocki and Feliks Giecewicz.

In this place, Kłobucki rubbed elbows with students like Teodor Gajewski, Piotr Triebler, Stefan Kiersnowski or Zygmunt Kowalewski.[3]

After graduation, Bronisław Kłobucki stayed in Bydgoszcz as registered in the 1926 city address book ("student, at 43 Nowodworska street")[4] or in the 1933 issue ("Artist sculptor at 50 Gdańska Street").[5] The latter was the location of his second studio.

In 1928, he participated on his first salon, the "Exhibition of paintings, sculptures and graphics by artists from Nadnotecia and Pomerania" (Polish: "Wystawa obrazów, rzeźb i grafiki artystów Nadnotecia i Pomorza") at the Municipal Museum, together with Piotr Triebler, Stanisław Teodor Wachowicz, Antoni Olejnik and Ignacy Zelek from Toruń.[2]

From 1929, the sculptor belonged to the "Association of Artists in Bydgoszcz" (Polish: Związek Artystów Plastyków w Bydgoszczy), renamed "Association of Pomeranian Artists" on 24 October 1929.At the 1930 annual "Exhibition of paintings and sculptures of the Association of Pomeranian Artists", Bronisław Kłobucki was a member of the jury, along with his colleagues Triebler, Gajewski or painters Karol Mondral and Jerzy Rupniewski.In November 1931, he moved his workshop at 50 Gdańska street, where was housed the Polish Club.[5]

In 1930, Kłobucki realized sculptures for the decoration of the Botanic Garden of Bydgoszcz which opened in August 1930:[6]

In the mid-1930s, the artist received more and more commissions from Bydgoszcz parishes.

In 1934, Kłobucki and his friends took part in the annual exhibition "Grupa Plastyk Pomorskich" (Pomeranian Plastics Group) realized at the Municipal Museum. The catalog of the exhibition mentions that Kłobucki presented there the following pieces, nowadays non-existent:

In 1935, Bronisław started one of his major woodcarving projects in cooperation with his brother Wacław. The resulting pieces of art are two neo-baroque side altars, designed by Marian Andrzejewski from Poznań. They were placed in the parish church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Szwederowo district, in the side aisles of the temple. Both altars are signed by the two artists/brothers.[2]

In 1936, Kłobucki participated in the first "Bydgoski Salon", an annual exhibition of Bydgoszcz artists. He did so for the second edition a year later. Still in 1936, he realized several portraits of artists, friends and people associated with the cultural society: Kazimierz Południow (bust), the president of the Cultural and Artistic Council, Feliks Krassowski (head), a stage designer of the Municipal Theatre and Teodor Gajewski (head).[2]

From this time on, he mainly carried out orders for parishes, municipal and private investors. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, Bronisław focused his work on religious-themed projects for interior furnishings:

In the context of the architectural reconstruction (1927–1933) of Saint Nicholas church in Bydgoszcz (district of Fordon), Kłobucki realized:[9]

World War II

During the occupation, Kłobucki was identified by Nazi authorities as an element of the 3rd category/"Eingedeutschte" or "Voluntarily Germanised". Any refusal to join this list often led to deportation to a concentration camp: as a consequence, he was drafted into the Wehrmacht.

He died on 22 September 1944, during the Battle of Arnhem.[10]

Family

Marcjanna and Stanisław Kłobucki had five children: Wacław and Ludwik were born in Taszewskie Pole, while Bronisław, Józef and Wanda were born in Bydgoszcz.

Bronisław did not marry and had no children.[10]

Works

Kłobucki's life and work were marked by the wars, especially the First World War.During several decades of activity, the artist has made over 50 sculptures.His most significant objects, monuments, religious figures and commemorative plaques were destroyed during WWII. The sculptures that survived warfare are often privately owned. Bydgoszcz museum collections hold very few of his works from the interwar period.

Bronisław Kłobucki's sculptural work is divided into chamber sculpture, monumental sculpture (sepulchral sculpture), outdoor sculpture, portraits and woodcarving for sacral interiors.

Other known works, mostly from exhibitions catalogs, documentation and reviews, are:

See also

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Łobaczewski, Tomasz . 2009 . Dzieje Fabryki Mebli Artystycznych Otto Pfefferkorna do 1945 roku. Materiały do dziejów kultury i sztuki Bydgoszczy i regionu. Zeszyt 14 . The history of the Otto Pfefferkorn Artistic Furniture Factory until 1945. Materials for the history of culture and art of Bydgoszcz and the region. issue 14 . pl . Bydgoszcz . Pracownia Dokumentacji i Popularyzacji Zabytków Wojewódzkiego Ośrodka Kultury w Bydgoszczy. .
  2. Book: Chojnacka, Barbara . 2002 . Bronisław Kłobucki - artysta rzeźbiarz. Przyczynek do dziejów bydgoskiej rzeźby w latach 1920–1939. Materiały do Dziejów Kultury i Sztuki Bydgoszczy i Regionu T7 . Bronisław Kłobucki – artist and sculptor. A contribution to Bydgoszcz history of sculpture in the years 1920–1939. Materials for the History of Culture and Art of Bydgoszcz and the Region T7 . pl . Bydgoszcz . Wojewódzki Ośrodek Kultury w Bydgoszczy . 90–113 .
  3. Web site: Rzeźba w Bydgoszczy w okresie międzywojennym . Chojnacka . Barbara . 3 June 2020 . galeriabwa.bydgoszcz.pl . Galeria Miejska BWA w Bydgoszczy . 2 February 2023.
  4. Book: 1926 . Książka Adresowa Miasta Bydgoszczy : wydana w roku 1926 . Address Book of the City of Bydgoszcz: published in 1926 . pl . Bydgoszcz . Władysław Weber . 156.
  5. Book: 1933 . Książka Adresowa Miasta Bydgoszczy : na rok 1933 . Address Book of the City of Bydgoszcz for year 1933 . pl . Bydgoszcz . Władysław Weber . 133.
  6. Web site: "Magiczny"" Ogród Botaniczny UKW w Bydgoszczy . Gazda . Stanisław . 23 July 2017 . metropoliabydgoska.pl . Polska Press Sp. z o. o. . 5 January 2023.
  7. Web site: Rzeźba w Ogrodzie Botanicznym odsłonięta . Torzewski . Sebastian . 17 October 2015 . metropoliabydgoska.pl . metropoliabydgoska . 23 July 2017.
  8. Web site: W Ogrodzie Botanicznym 1934. . 8 April 2021. Bydgoszcz- Okruchy Przeszłości . Facebook . 5 January 2023.
  9. Book: September 2005 . Głos Świętego Mikołaja . Voice of Saint Nicolas . pl . Bydgoszcz . Parafia Świętego Mikołaja w Bydgoszczy – Fordonie . 10–11 .
  10. Web site: Cztery pory roku . 19 January 2020 . ogrod.ukw.edu.pl . Ogród Botaniczny UKW . 5 February 2023.
  11. Book: Kuczma, R. . 1988 . Bronisław Klobucki artysta rzeźbiarz. Bydgoski Informator Kulturalny R. 15. Bronisław Klobucki Artist Sculptor. Bydgoszcz Cultural Guide . pl . Bydgoszcz . Miejskie Centrum Kultury . 44–45 .
  12. Book: 5 June 1930 . Pomnik Powstańca w Łobżenicy. Dziennik Bydgoski Nr 129 . Monument to the Insurgent in Łobżenica . pl . Bydgoszcz . Drukarnia Bydgoska Sp. Akc. w Bydgoszczy . 7 .