Iosif
Ivanovich Oleshkevich

Joseph (Wasis) I. (A.) Oleshkevich (Oleskiewicz) was born in 1777 in the town Shilowa (now Lithuania) in a family of musician, a poor nobleman. In 1800 he entered the Vilna main school. Since 1803 Oleshkevich studied painting in Paris and Dresden. In 1810 he moved to St. Petersburg, where in 1812 he received the title of academician of historical painting at the Academy of fine arts. Oleshkevich was the Senate Secretary, member of the Academy of fine arts in painting art., official 10-th class. I. Oleshkevich entered the history of culture as a historical painter and portraitist, friend of the great Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz. He died in 1830 and buried in Smolenskom Orthodox cemetery in St. Petersburg.

One of the first graduates of the Vilnius art school was the disciple of Smuglevich Josef Oleshkevich. He came from an impoverished noble family. With the support of count Alexander Chodkiewicz, the young artist continued his education in Dresden and Paris, where he worked in the Studio of J. L. David – a friend of his teacher. Oleshkevich takes over the interest of Smuglevich to historical, allegorical and religious paintings. In 1809, he was imprisoned in Vilna the first public exhibition of his paintings on the theme of the history of the XVII century, dedicated to A. Hetman Chodkiewicz. The exhibition became a significant event in the life of Vilna. In addition to independent creative activities, Oleshkevich engaged in teaching. Group and family portrait – a characteristic phenomenon of the art of the late XVIII – early XIX century. In the work of Oleskevich embodied particularly valued by the enlightenment virtues of close family ties, parental love, family friendship, tenderness and poetry, characteristic of romanticism.