“…Accompanied by a large, black-speckled, white Great Dane named Aron – Roman Biliński was a very distinctive-looking figure: a colourful beret, red socks, Franciscan sandals, a snakeskin waistcoat, baggy trousers, a long Tatar-style moustache – noble, reserved and resolute. He was stateless, without citizenship, which, in any case, he had never sought, for he felt himself to be a citizen of the world. A polyglot, he knew eight languages very well; Roman loved beautiful women, horses, vodka, his chisel and his paintbrush.”

Childhood and education

It is known that Roman Biliński was born on 15 July 1897 in Lviv. His father was Piotr Biliński, whilst his mother’s name remains unknown.

Between 1919 and 1922, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, where he obtained a diploma as a sculptor . Apparently, he also studied in Lviv , where, according to information provided by the artist’s grandson Luigi Capelli, Biliński is said to have attended classes taught by Professor Zygmunt Rozwadowski . Roman Biliński’s education was cut short by the October Revolution in 1917 . It was then that Roman’s father was murdered by a local peasant, and the Biliński estate was seized by the Bolsheviks.

Departure for Turkey and the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople

In 1920, he married a Russian woman – Nina Antonomovna – with whom he set off for Turkey, specifically to Constantinople . His presence in the city was first recorded as early as 1920, when he joined the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople ( The Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople). It is worth pausing here to consider this group, whose leaders were the charismatic Vladimir Stepanovich Ivanoff ( founder and chairman) and Dimitri Ismailovitch (exhibition organiser) . Its members included such artists as: Tatiana Alexinsky-Loukina, Astafiev (Astori), Vladimir Bobritsky, Nikolai Saretzki, Nikolai Kalmykoff, Kaissaroff, Nikolai Peroff, Sabaneeff, Fedoroff, Nikolai Saraphanoff and Iraida Barry. The members also included Bolesław Cybis , who remained in Constantinople until 1922, and a figure, as yet unidentified, who signed with the initials ‘V.P.-Tch.’ (Viktor Prokopovich-Czartoryski?).

During its brief existence (a mere two years), the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople organised around nine exhibitions, held in venues such as the Mayak [ Russian Lighthouse/Phare Russe at 40 Bursa Street ] and the MacMahon – the military barracks in Taksim.

It is worth noting here that the Association was not a homogeneous group ; the artists presented various styles and languages of artistic expression, which constituted the extraordinary richness of this group. In addition to exhibitions, reports , regular meetings at which current issues relating to the general cultural and political situation were discussed, the Association also served as a haven for émigré artists , some of whom were facing difficult life circumstances. As we read in Ekaterina Aygun’s text, ‘it helped its members find work, supported them in difficult times, and did not allow the weary and weakened to lose heart’ (“helped its members find work, supported them in difficult times, and did not allow those who were tired and weakened to lose heart”)

Professional career

In the years that followed, Biliński created a series of portraits of Polish diplomats and Turkish dignitaries with whom the artist had formed friendly relationships. These included figures such as Stefania Olszewska , wife of Ambassador Kazimierz Olszowski, Madaleine Nieduszyńska, Consul-General Roman Wegnerowicz and his wife, Janina, and Jerzy Potocki, Ambassador to Ankara from 1933 to 1936. Among the Turkish figures were, amongst others: Députè Selah Cimcos, Députè Fazil Ahmet, Youssuf Zia Pasha, Allamah Muhammad Iqbal, Seyfeddin Thadée Gasztowtt, Fadil Ahmet Aykac, Gülsüm Kamalova and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

In June 1934 , his first solo exhibition took place at the Polish House in Istanbul , where he presented both his sculptures and his paintings. In July of the same year, he took part in the annual exhibition at Galatasaray Exhibitions, displaying eight of his sculptures alongside artists such as Nikolai Kalmykoff, Nikolai Peroff and the progressive artist Melek Celal Sofu, whom Biliński had portrayed in terracotta.

As well as creating portraits of important and respected figures, Biliński, according to information contained in the ‘Application for IRO assistance’ form, worked as an art expert for the British firm Eastern Carpati Company – S. HAIM from 1925 to 1939 .

Furthermore, according to information provided by the artist’s grandson, he is said to have taught painting at Robert College. This information has been repeated in publications; however, no documents have yet been found to confirm Roman’s presence at the college. The only reference that might suggest his presence is the one given in the Report for the 1926/27 academic year (“Report of the President and Faculty of Robert College at Constantinople for the 64th year (1926/1927)”, p. 6). A table illustrating the cosmopolitan nature of the teaching staff mentions one lecturer of Polish origin.

Furthermore, although as yet unconfirmed , there are frequently cited reports that the artist was allegedly appointed by Kemal Atatürk to serve as as commissioner for the restoration works at Hagia Sophia ( 1931–1949), carried out under the direction of Thomas Whittemore, and to have been involved in the reorganisation of museums of Islamic art, acquiring collectable items from across Turkey.

Biliński certainly undertook many journeys into the interior of the country, as evidenced by his paintings depicting Balkan landscapes . It is worth mentioning here Biliński’s stay in Adampol [Polonezköy]. There, he created a commemorative plaque to mark the anniversary of Adam Mickiewicz’s death [ fig. 8] and a series of paintings depicting the Polish countryside near Istanbul. One of these is a portrait of a Polish diaspora activist – Zofia Ryża.

Biliński became fascinated by the culture of the Middle East and began to study Byzantine icons, Persian and Turkish decorative art – including ceramics – as well as the customs of the Ottoman Empire. All these influences would recur in his later works.

During the years he spent in Constantinople, Biliński’s first marriage came to an end; the artist’s second life partner was the French poet and artist Claire Duriez .

A time of travel

Towards the end of the 1930s, after more than a decade , his time in Turkey came to an end and the couple embarked on numerous journeys, which Biliński had to meticulously list on his IRO forms. Biliński’s destinations included Yugoslavia, France, Greece, Switzerland and Italy . At that time , the consul Roman Wegnerowicz was stationed in Trieste ; Biliński visited him frequently, and Wegnerowicz issued a special document certifying the artist’s Polish origin and Christian faith. Such a document certainly made it easier for Biliński to travel. In 1938, two of his paintings – portraits of Roman Wegnerowicz and Zofia Ryża – were exhibited at the National Salon organised by the Society of Friends of the Fine Arts in Kraków.

After the outbreak of the Second World War , the couple settled in Sarajevo for the next five years (1940–1945). Despite the political tensions, the artist continued his artistic work and ran his own studio . In May 1941, he was arrested by the Ustaše police , but was released the very next day. According to family accounts, his kinship with Leon Biliński ( 1846–1923) is said to have saved him.

In 1945, Biliński and his French partner returned to Italy . At that time, the artist joined the Polish Red Cross , which is commemorated in the painting Red Cross Military Camp ( 1945) , and was subsequently admitted to the 2nd Polish Corps, where he worked in the propaganda office. The painting Field Mass/Messa al campo ( 1945), which is currently housed at the Polish House in Rome, dates from this period.

In 1946, he found himself in Camogli, where, at the age of 49, he met the Italian woman Marcella Conte ( Cecè). As we read in her memoirs:

“…we were bound to meet, to bring together an end to the chaotic whirlwind of his previous life, from the Great War to the Russian Revolution, from the murder of his father to the Second World War with its concentration camps, and finally put down roots so that he could flourish in relative tranquillity, work, and at some point choose painting as his primary means of expression.”

In 1949, he settled permanently in Bordighera on the Ligurian coast, where he first lived in the Beodo area (Alta Bordighera), and in subsequent years purchased a villa on Via Coggiola. It was there that he had his studio and where his children were born: Diana Clara and Ettore Piotr.

The artist also had a studio in Milan at Via Brera 3. Biliński would stay in that city during periods of artistic events. He made similar trips to Paris and Geneva. He would return to his hometown during the holidays or between exhibitions. At such times, he would work in his garden, which he called ‘La Selva’ (‘The Forest’).

Increased activity

A stable private life fostered Biliński’s artistic activity . In her memoirs, Marcella Conte writes of three or four canvases painted a day. His exhibition activity also increased significantly . As early as 1950, he held his first exhibition at the Florida Gallery in Bordighera. From that point on, Biliński exhibited both in Italy ( including Naples, Turin, Milan, Rome, San Remo, La Spezia, Genoa and Biella), as well as abroad ( Paris, Geneva, New York)16.

Roman Biliński maintained regular contact with the Polish community abroad . Among his close friends were the consuls Roman Wegnerowicz, who moved to Canada after the Second World War, and Tadeusz Nieduszyński, who in turn settled in England. In Italy, the Polish community was mainly associated with the local cultural and academic centres. A frequent guest of his was Bronisław Biliński – then director of the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Rome Station. Furthermore, he was friends with Eryk Lipiński , whom he met at the Salone Internazionale dell’Umorismo in 1966, and with Bolesław Cybis. His circle of acquaintances also included Thomas Mann and his daughter Monika . According to information provided by the artist’s grandson, Biliński maintained contact with artists such as Oskar Kokoschka and Carlo Carrà .

Characteristics of his work

As a sculptor and painter , Roman Biliński did not adhere to a single style. He was described in the press as a ‘passionate’ artist, yet at the same time ‘sensual and romantically sentimental’, who in his paintings “combines various elements of Nordic expressionism: Fauvist colour, realism, Post-Impressionism, and the resonant harmony of the colour palette”.

His inspirations , starting with his Polish roots , were drawn from many life experiences and travels . His passion for Byzantine and Oriental art had a strong influence on his own work.

“Fascinated by all European atmospheres, both artistic and social, a connoisseur of sorrows and joys, at times mournfully Gregorian, at times worldly, sensual and pleasurable, not infrequently fiercely barbaric and brutal. In truth, his Post-Impressionism draws on the most significant contemporary artistic revolution. (...) He knows that art is not based on aesthetic escapism and isolation, but on a living presence, that is, on the concrete.”

The artist’s favourite motifs were still lifes, landscapes and animals – horses above all, and his beloved dogs, self-portraits as well as portraits of both his family and friends and of anonymous people he observed, who embodied the atmosphere and character of the places where he lived.

“Biliński depicts flowers, landscapes, still lifes and figures, painted with a sure hand, often in bright and vivid colours, in a distinctive style in which one senses an eclectic blend of influences and experiences, ranging from Impressionism to Fauvism. He often achieves an immediacy and freshness of sensation’.

He was also a great lover of nature ; during his early years in Italy, Roman built up an impressive collection of cacti and succulents. [ill. 31] The newspaper *Il Secolo XIX* of 1 September 1949 reports:

“A visit to the home of the renowned Polish painter Biliński, who has been staying in Bordighera for several months, in this small villa on Via Beodo, is a truly fascinating experience. There, one can admire not only valuable paintings, self-portraits and sketches, but also a collection of succulents, tended with the care of a true expert, which Biliński proved to be. Courteous and effusive, he took us to his nursery, where we marvelled at all the rarest succulents. In the living room, amongst the many works, similar plants take centre stage; they captivated us with their colour contrasts, their immaculate condition, and the intense harmony that the artist is able to imbue in all his paintings. Biliński intends to stay amongst us, where, as he told us, he has found friends, and with his ever-present smile he handed us a glass of vodka.”

The artist died of a heart attack on 26 March 1981 . His gravestone, where his wife (d. 16 March 1987) is also laid to rest, is situated in his beloved family garden .

Most of the artist’s works are held by auction houses in Poland and can be viewed on websites such as artinfo.pl .

An invaluable source of photographic documentation is the artist’s family, particularly his grandson Luigi Capello, who is constantly striving to keep his grandfather’s memory alive. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him most sincerely for all our correspondence and our joint search for new information about Roman Biliński.