Michał Antoni Leszczyński, better known in the Atlantic region as Michael Lester, had a life as colourful and full of contrasts as his pictures, filled with vivid tropical colours and unbelievable sunshine. He was a patriot in exile, an artist and a sailor. His hands were skilful at mending the rough canvas in his sailboat and equally skilful at painting on canvas.
He became famous on the Baltic Sea at the beginning of the last century as a free spirit and adventure seeker, which gave him the legendary nickname “Pigieł”. In later years he became renowned in Europe and both Americas, and now, with his works, his group of admirers is constantly growing even after his death.
His profile is remembered by an exhibition developed under the promotional campaign of a book by Kenneth J. Jones, Michał Leszczyński-Lester, Sea Captain and Painter, published by The Polish Maritime Museum in Gdańsk to celebrate Lester’s 100th birthday and the 35th anniversary of his death. The exhibition is made of Leszczyński’s paintings and drawings from the Museum’s collection, documents as well as Leszczyński’s painting teachers from the Cracow Art Academy – Joseph Mehoffer, Władysław Jarocki and Kazimierz Sichulski, all of whom had a huge impact on his work.
The exhibition has been financed with a grant from the Culture and National Heritage Ministry.
