Creator Bio

Aleksander Lesser

1814–1884

Born into a wealthy family of Warsaw bankers and merchants, Aleksander Lesser studied in Warsaw, Dresden, and Munich. He made his reputation as a painter of Polish historical and Christian religious subjects. In the 1860s, Lesser became one of the first artists to depict scenes from the history of Polish Jewry. He is most known for his painting of a contemporary event: The Funeral of the Five Victims shows a cross section of Polish society (Catholics, Protestants, and Jews) at the funeral for protesters who were shot by police during a patriotic demonstration in Warsaw on March 2, 1861.

Entries in the Posen Library by This Creator

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The Funeral of the Five Victims

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Aleksander Lesser’s most famous painting is The Funeral of the Five Victims, which depicts the public funeral of five men shot by the Russian military on March 2, 1861 during a rally calling for…
Painting of women seated at rows of desks sewing.
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Related Guide

Painters, Sculptors, and Photographers, 1750–1880

All over the world, Jewish art reflected the hybrid nature of Jewishness, including the material circumstances and cultural milieu of the larger environment. Individual artisans and artists selected and created according to their personal and Jewish experiences.