Eugeniusz Khrushchitsky (1914-1984), Tatars on the Steppe
oil, canvas
42.5 x 55 cm
signed on the reverse
Eugeniusz Chruścicki studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, and participated in the Warsaw Uprising. After its fall, he was imprisoned in a prisoner of war camp in Germany; his talent as a painter saved him from death. After the end of the war, he remained in Germany and worked in the Polish theater as a stage designer and decorator. In 1949 he emigrated to Canada, where he became an art director at the Academy of Theatre Arts in Toronto, then worked as a set designer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He published his graphics and illustrations in many Polish and Canadian magazines, journals, and illustrated book items. Eugeniusz Khrushtsky's paintings adorn the interiors of many Canadian churches, including those in Toronto, Oakville, Tottenham, and in the United States at St. Stanislaus Cathedral in Scranton, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Camden. From the beginning of his stay in Canada, he actively participated in the social life of the Polish community, and soon after his arrival participated in an exhibition organized by the Association of Artists of Ontario. In 1953 his works participated in the "Poles in Canada" exhibition, thanks to it the artist was noticed and received a commission from the Polish National Catholic Church for the main altar. In 1955, he makes a decoration for the Cathedral Church of John the Baptist in Toronto.
