Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), born in Żelazowa Wola, son of Mikołaj and Tekla Justyna, née Krzyżanowska. At the turn of his fourth and fifth year, Fryderyk Chopin began taking piano lessons. By the time he was seven, he had already written several compositions. In 1818, he gave his first public concert. From 1823 to 1826 he attended the Warsaw Lyceum, and from 1826 to 1829 he studied at the Warsaw School of Music. After completing his studies, he left for Vienna, and in 1831 settled in Paris, where he played many concerts that had a huge impact on audiences and brought him fame. During this time he also composed numerous works. From 1846 onwards, he concentrated mainly on composing, also becoming involved in Polish émigré life, financially supporting the establishment of the Polish Polytechnic Society in Paris. From 1836, he struggled with a serious illness - tuberculosis. In 1838, Eugène Delacroix began painting a portrait of Chopin, on which the artist also captured the composer's partner, George Sand, but the work was not completed. After parting with Sand, in 1848 Chopin travelled to England and Scotland, where he gave his last public concert. He died in 1849 in Paris. He is regarded as one of the most outstanding composers and pianists of his era.