Kossak Juliusz was a painter, illustrator and draftsman. He was born in 1824 in Nowy Wiśnicz near Bochnia. His younger brother was Leon Kossak. In 1842 he began law studies, and at the same time he learned drawing. In 1848 he became involved in the events of the Spring of Nations (Polish: Wiosna Ludów). Later he moved to St. Petersburg for several months. He traveled a lot, mainly in the south-eastern part of Małopolska, but he also visited Vienna, Hungary and Paris. In 1869 he settled permanently in Kraków in his own villa Wygoda, later called Kossakówka. Juliusz Kossak was a member of the committee that founded the National Museum in Krakow. He was also the president of the Artistic and Literary Association, and was active in other organizations and committees. He died in 1899 in Krakow.
He painted a lot of pictures that are now in museums and private collections. He was particularly interested in horses, riders, races, battle scenes, noble life, and the knightly past of the nation.
In Krakow’s museums you can admire such works as:
- “Portrait of a Boy on a Gray Horse” (Polish: “Portret chłopca na siwym koniu”)
- “Sled hunting” (Polish: “Polowanie na saniach”)
- “Skirmish at Iłża” (Polish: “Potyczka pod Iłżą”)
- “Patrol”