“Jewess with Oranges” by Aleksander Gierymski

“Jewess with Oranges” by Aleksander Gierymski shows a Jewish shopkeeper. She is wearing working clothes, a cap on her head, and a scarf on her shoulders.

The woman’s face is anxious as she carries two baskets of oranges looking for customers. Her prominent wrinkles heighten the effect of hardship and toil, which emanate from her depiction.

The woman is the focal point, and neither the oranges with their bright orange color or the background of the foggy Warsaw skyline detract from the woman; they only provide a context.

This painting was stolen during World War II and only reappeared in 2010. The painter signed his name prominently in the lower-left corner and included the Polish name of the city where he painted the picture, Warszawa.

Aleksander Gierymski

Ignacy Aleksander Gierymski (1850 – 1901) was a Polish painter. He was a representative of realism and an essential precursor of impressionism in Poland.

Jewess with Oranges

• Title:                          Jewess with Oranges
• Polski:                       Żydówka z pomarańczami
• Artist:                        Aleksander Gierymski
• Date:                        1881
• Medium:                   Oil on canvas
• Dimensions:             H: 65 cm (25.6 in). W: 54 cm (21.3 in)
• Museum:                  National Museum, Warsaw

Aleksander Gierymski

• Name:                        Ignacy Aleksander Gierymski
• Born:                          1850 – Warsaw
• Died:                          1901 – Rome
• Nationality:                Polish
• Notable Works
  • Jewess with Oranges

A Tour of the National Museum, Warsaw

• “Jewess with Oranges” by Aleksander Gierymski
• Statue of Amun
• “Fragment of the interior of Notre Dame in Paris” by Konrad Krzyżanowski

“Jewess with Oranges” by Aleksander Gierymski

A Tour of European Museums

• Paris Museums
• Rome Museums
• Florence Museums
• Milan Museums
• Athens Museums
• Berlin Museums
• Vienna Museums
• Dublin Museums
• Amsterdam Museums
• The Hague Museums
• Madrid Museums
• Brussels Museums
• Belgrade Museums
• Warsaw Museums
• ZürichMuseums 
• Prague Museums
• Oslo Museums

A Tour of the Warsaw National Museum

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“A guest sees more in an hour than the host in a year.”
– Polish Proverb

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Photo Credit:  Aleksander Gierymski [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons