Aleksander Żyw
Born: 1905Place of Birth: Lida
Died: 1995
Zyw was born in Lida, Poland before moving to Warsaw at an early age. He enrolled in Warsaw School of Fine Art in 1926. A travel bursary in 1934 was to have a great effect on the young Pole, not only did it give him a taste for life outside of Poland, but it started a love affair with the Mediterranean which was to last a lifetime.
He found himself in Corsica when the War broke out, and travelled back to his home in Paris to enlist. After the French Army's collapse Zyw escaped to Scotland to where the Polish Armed Forces were regrouping. After another spell on the front line as official war artist he settled in Dean Village in Edinburgh, before moving permanently to Italy in the 1970s. During his time in Edinburgh, he has a profound impact on the city with a number of notable exhibitions, including three with The Scottish Gallery, and later retrospectives organised by the Scottish Arts Council and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. He continued to paint up to his death at his olive farm in Castagneto Carducci in Tuscany, Italy.
He had his first one-man show at The Scottish Gallery in 1945. His most recent exhibition was held in November 2020 titled Before & After.
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In Depth View details
Aleksander Żyw
In Depth
1948-9oil on canvasH:61cm W:50.8cm£2,950Flowerpiece View detailsAleksander Żyw
Flowerpiece
1945oil on canvasH:81.3cm W:60.6cm£4,6501st Polish Armoured Division Brass Band View detailsAleksander Żyw
1st Polish Armoured Division Brass Band
18.xi.1941pencil drawingH:24cm W:33cm£725Pont de Passy View detailsAleksander Żyw
Pont de Passy
c.1935mixed media on boardH:37cm W:51cm£1,250Aleksander Zyw at his studio in Desenzano, Italy View detailsAleksander Żyw
Aleksander Zyw at his studio in Desenzano, Italy
1954Photograph: Ugo Mulas. Courtesy of the Artist's estate-
Susannah View details
Aleksander Żyw
Susannah
1948-9oil on canvasH:76.2cm W:63.5cmSoldRoutine Duties on the Piorun Battleship View detailsAleksander Żyw
Routine Duties on the Piorun Battleship
1941conté and washH:16.5cm W:27.5cmSoldSantorini View detailsAleksander Żyw
Santorini
i.vii.1934pen and watercolourH:50cm W:36cmSoldPont de Passy View detailsAleksander Żyw
Pont de Passy
1935oil on canvasH:71.1cm W:91.4cmSoldVerona View detailsAleksander Żyw
Verona
vii.1937gouache and inkH:49cm W:39cmSoldSoldiers in a Landscape View detailsAleksander Żyw
Soldiers in a Landscape
1941gouache on paperH:24cm W:33.5cmSoldORP Piorun View detailsAleksander Żyw
ORP Piorun
1.7.42pencil drawingH:37cm W:25cmSoldWest Register House, Charlotte Square View detailsAleksander Żyw
West Register House, Charlotte Square
1944pen drawingH:20.5cm W:25cmSoldHolyrood Palace in the Rain View detailsAleksander Żyw
Holyrood Palace in the Rain
c.1944pen drawingH:19cm W:24cmSoldFrom Calton Hill View detailsAleksander Żyw
From Calton Hill
c.1944pen drawingH:20.5cm W:25cmSoldAn Teallach I View detailsAleksander Żyw
An Teallach I
1946-7oil on canvasH:63.2cm W:76.2cmSoldCrystalline Pattern View detailsAleksander Żyw
Crystalline Pattern
1950oil on canvasH:76.2cm W:63.5cmSoldBlues View detailsAleksander Żyw
Blues
1951oil on canvasH:81cm W:64.8cmSoldDark Halo View detailsAleksander Żyw
Dark Halo
1950oil on canvasH:76cm W:63cmSoldRed Still Life View detailsAleksander Żyw
Red Still Life
1951oil on canvasH:89cm W:116cmSoldSergeant D. of the Black Brigade View detailsAleksander Żyw
Sergeant D. of the Black Brigade
1941oil on canvasH:91cm W:71cmSoldThe Dance View detailsLoading
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