Michal Plonski
Płoński, Michał
Baptized Sept. 30, 1778, in Warsaw; died there June 2, 1812. Polish graphic artist and engraver. One of the first Polish artists to depict scenes of everyday life.
Ploń ski studied in Warsaw under J.-P. Norblin de la Gourdaine between 1795 and 1799. From 1800 to 1810 he lived in Holland and a number of other foreign countries. Many of his etchings depict folk life and the common people, as do numerous drawings in India ink, bister, and gouache. Płoń ski’s works are distinguished by sincere humanity, liveliness and lightness of stroke, and soft chiaroscuro. They include the drawings The Prussian Army Leading the Peasants Into Bondage (1796) and Motherhood (c. 1805-10), both of which are in the National Museum in Warsaw, and the etchings The Basket-maker and Beggar With a Crutch (both 1802).