Jan Matejko

(June 24, 1838 - November 1, 1893)

Jan Matejko (also known as Jan Mateyko; June 24, 1838, Free City of Krakow; - November 1, 1893, Krakow) was a Polish painter known for paintings of notable historical Polish political and military events. His most famous works include oil on canvas paintings like Battle of Grunwald, paintings of numerous other battles and court scenes, and a gallery of Polish kings. He is counted among the most famous Polish painters.

Matejko was born in the Free City of Krakow, part of the Polish territory annexed by Austria during the Partitions of Poland. His father, Franciszek Ksawery Matejko (Czech: Frantisek Xaver Matejka) was a Czech from the village of Roudnice. He was a tutor and music teacher who first worked for the Wodzicki family in Koscielniki, then moved to Krakow, where he married the half-German, half-Polish Joanna Karolina Rossberg. Jan was the ninth child from eleven that his parents had.