Artwork
Man eating crayfish (Portrait of Karol Szuster)
Man eating crayfish (Portrait of Karol Szuster) is an oil painting by Roman Kramsztyk. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
About this work
Overview
Roman Kramsztyk’s 1919 oil on canvas presents a seated man engaged in the simple act of eating crayfish. Rendered in muted tones, the composition centers on the figure’s focused expression and the modest tabletop setting, while a dark green wall and a small yellow rectangle in the upper left provide a restrained backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a solitary individual, dressed in a white shirt and dark jacket, holding a crayfish with his right hand. A plate of the crustacean and a bottle labeled “Triple Sec” lie before him, suggesting a quiet, private moment of contemplation rather than a formal portraiture setting.
Technique & Style
Kramsztyk employs a realist approach, emphasizing precise modeling of flesh and fabric through subtle gradations of light. The limited palette of whites, darks, and muted greens creates a calm atmosphere, while the careful rendering of textures, such as the sheen of the crayfish shell and the cloth around the subject’s neck, demonstrates his skill in depicting everyday materiality.
History & Provenance
Created during the interwar period, the painting reflects Kramsztyk’s engagement with Polish figurative realism. After the artist’s death in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942, the work entered the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of early 20th‑century Polish art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Roman Kramsztyk (18 August 1885 – 6 August 1942) was a Polish realist painter of Jewish descent in the interwar period.
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