Tadeusz Kuntze-Konicz was one of the most outstanding Polish painters of the 18th century to work abroad. He was born on 20 April 1727 in Zielona Góra, and his artistic career was primarily centred on Rome, where he died on 8 May 1793. His artistic output includes numerous religious paintings, decorative frescoes, genre scenes and works on mythological themes, which adorned churches, aristocratic residences and public institutions.

He arrived in Rome in 1747 thanks to the support of Andrzej Stanisław Załuski, Bishop of Płock. He initially studied at the French Academy under Ludovico Mazzanti, and subsequently at the famous Scuola del Nudo at the Academy of St Luke. His talent quickly gained recognition, as evidenced by commissions for prestigious works. In 1754, he painted two works for Wawel Cathedral in Kraków: ‘The Martyrdom of St Adalbert’ and ‘St Casimir’. These works are an excellent example of the late Baroque Roman style, characterised by multi-figure compositions and dramatic chiaroscuro effects.

Kuntze, known in Italy as ‘Taddeo Polacco’, became famous in Rome as one of the most prolific artists of the late Rococo period. His oeuvre included numerous altarpieces and frescoes for churches in Rome and the Lazio region. Among other works, he painted the decorations in the Church of Santa Caterina da Siena, where his monochromatic angels on the vault clearly allude to Baciccio’s monumental works in the Roman church of Il Gesù. He also produced decorations for Rome’s most prominent aristocratic families, such as the Borghese, Corsini and Rinuccini.

In the 1770s and 1780s, Kuntze worked on commission for Prince Marcantonio IV Borghese. His decorative works, such as the frescoes in Villa Borghese and Palazzo Borghese, display exceptional stylistic diversity: ranging from Baroque allegorical scenes to classicising decorations inspired by antiquity. Of particular interest are the paintings with mythological themes and genre scenes, such as ‘The Singing Lesson’ and ‘The Doctor’s Visit’, which reveal the influence of artists popular in 18th-century Rome, such as Pietro Longhi and William Hogarth.

An important, though not fully explained, episode in Kuntze’s life was his connection with Spain. Although there is no conclusive evidence of his stay at the Spanish court, it is certain that his work influenced the young Francisco Goya. Goya stayed in Rome between 1770 and 1771 and lived with Kuntz, which may have had a significant influence on his artistic development. Furthermore, the Kuntze family later became associated with the Spanish artistic dynasty of the Madrazo family – his daughter Elisabetta married the painter José Madrazo, which further attests to the artist’s strong Spanish connections.

Tadeusz Kuntze-Konicz’s body of work, though not fully appreciated, remains an important element of European Rococo and early Classicist art. His works, held in the collections of museums in Rome and Poland, bear witness to the prominent position he held within the artistic circles of 18th-century Rome, which was then one of Europe’s most important artistic capitals.

Oil paintings:

Rome

Church of San Stanislao dei Polacchi

‘The Resurrection of Piotrowin’, before 1754, oil on canvas

Castel Massimo (Frosinone)

Church of San Pietro

‘St Joseph of Capistrano with St Augustine and St Bishop’, c. 1770, oil on canvas

Kraków / Rome (replicas)

‘Christ before Pilate’, c. 1770–1780, oil on canvas

Wawel State Art Collection, Kraków

Fabrizio Lemme Collection, Rome

Soriano nel Cimino (Viterbo)

Church of the Santissima Trinità

‘The Holy Trinity and St Monica’, c. 1776, oil on canvas (two paintings)

Veroli (Frosinone)

Cathedral (Duomo di Sant’Andrea Apostolo)

‘The Martyrdom of St Bartholomew’, after 1765, oil on canvas

‘St John with his disciples’, after 1765, oil on canvas

Naples

Banca Sannitica

‘The Doctor’s Visit’ and ‘The Music Teacher’, c. 1784, oil on canvas

Rome

Villa Borghese

‘The Singing Lesson’ and 7 medallions depicting genre scenes (‘The Kobza Player and the Barmaid’, ‘Polish Musicians’, ‘The Mandolinist and the Singer’, ‘The Barrel Organ Player and the Boy with the Drum’, ‘The Violinist and the Harpist’, ‘The Cimbalom Player and the Boy with the Bassetla’, ‘A Cheerful Concert’), 1784, oil on canvas and oil on wood

‘Views of Roman Ruins’, 1784, oil on wood

Florence

Uffizi Gallery

‘Self-Portrait’, 1786, oil on canvas

Religious and decorative frescoes:

Frascati (near Rome)

Church of the Gesù (Chapel of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners)

‘The Adoration of the Shepherds’, 1773

‘The Presentation of the Child in the Temple’, 1773

‘The Nativity of the Virgin Mary’, 1775

‘The Dormition of the Virgin’, 1775

Rome

Church of Santa Caterina dei Senesi

‘Symbols of the Eucharist Carried by Angels’, 1775

Church of Santa Lucia della Tinta

‘Our Lady with Saint Lucy’, c. 1781

Palazzo Rinuccini (Palazzo Bonaparte)

Decorative frescoes, before 1793

Palazzo Borghese and Villa Borghese

Decorative frescoes, c. 1773

Soriano nel Cimino (Viterbo)

Church of the Santissima Trinità

‘The Apotheosis of St Augustine’ (vault), c. 1776

Genazzano (near Palestrina)

Church of Santa Maria del Buon Consiglio

‘The Miraculous Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes’, 1777, fresco (3.5 x 4 m)

Ariccia (near Albano)

Casino Stazi

A series of mythological frescoes (‘The Story of Hippolytus’), c. 1770–1780

Cave

Church of Santo Stefano

‘St Ambrose baptising St Augustine’, c. 1770 (vault)

Tempera technique:

Frascati (near Rome)

Cardinal Stuart’s Villa

Three biblical scenes:
“Angels visiting Abraham”, “Rebekah at the well”, “Aaron turning his staff into a serpent”, c. 1777

Madrid

National Library

Three scenes from the ‘Iliad’, c. 1777