PLEWIŃSKA-SMIDOWICZ Zofia (1888-1944) - Portrait of a lady in a hat with a feather (Self-portrait?).

PLEWIŃSKA-SMIDOWICZ Zofia (1888-1944) - Portrait of a lady in a hat with a feather (Self-portrait?).
Pastel on ark. 76.3x56 cm. At the right edge handwritten signature: "Z. Plewińska 1916". Work in shared wooden frame, behind glass. Very good condition.
Z. Plewińska-Smidowicz (1888-1944) - painter, graphic artist, illustrator, independence movement activist. She studied in Warsaw, Paris and Vienna. Before World War I, she was active in the scouting movement, during World War I she worked as an orderly in a legion hospital, and later joined the First Brigade of the Legions. She fought in male disguise, using male personalities. She was active in the POW. During World War II she became involved in underground activities. She was a courier in the Warsaw area. She died in the Warsaw Uprising. "In painting, she primarily used watercolor and oil techniques, and also drew, designed stained glass windows, did color lithography and glass painting. Her work was characterized by Art Nouveau style. Her main sources of inspiration were fairy tales and legends, although she also created works with patriotic content or drawings from the life of the legions [...]. Most of her work was lost during World War II" (Wikipedia).