{{Short description|Polish painter (1785–1844)}} thumb|200px|Self-portrait with Family (1825) thumb|upright=0.85|Portrait of Abraham Stern (1823) '''Jan Antoni Blank''' (6 May 1785 – 20 February 1844) was a Polish painter in the Classical style who specialized in portraits and miniatures; many of which are in a style similar to Biedermeier. He often signed his paintings as '''Jan Antoni Blank-Białecki'''
==Biography== He was born in Olsztyn to the owner of a textile factory, but was orphaned at an early age and raised by the local postmaster. At the age of fifteen, he was apprenticed to Józef Kosiński, who had been a court painter for King Stanisław II August. He remained in Warsaw until 1809, when he moved to Dresden, where he studied with the Austrian painter, Josef Grassi.<ref name="W">[http://encyklopedia.warmia.mazury.pl/index.php/Antoni_Blank Brief biography] @ Encyklopedia Warmii i Mazur.</ref>
Upon returning to Warsaw in 1815, he became curator of the plaster casts and drawing teacher of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Warsaw. In 1819, he was appointed a professor. After the university was closed in 1831, he gave private lessons and did restorative work.<ref name="W" />
In addition to his portraits, Blank created works on religious and mythological subjects and did ceiling frescoes. Together with his students, he painted decorations at churches throughout Warmia;<ref name="W" /> including Reszel, where he did an altar painting of Saint Catherine, and Saint James Cathedral in Olsztyn, where he painted "Our Lady of Sorrows". He also organized exhibitions in the Palaces of Nieborów and Królikarnia.<ref name="O">[http://portalwiedzy.onet.pl/108155,,,,blank_antoni_jan,haslo.html Biographical notes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072043/http://portalwiedzy.onet.pl/108155,,,,blank_antoni_jan,haslo.html |date=2016-03-04 }} @ Onet (Portal Wiedzy).</ref>
His most notable portraits are those of Abraham Stern, Stanisław Kostka Potocki and General Jan Teodor Kobylański (1777–1851). Among his best known students were Rafał Hadziewicz, Jan Feliks Piwarski, Antoni Brodowski and January Suchodolski.<ref name="O" />
Blank died in 1844, in Warsaw.
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * Tadeusz Janiszewski: "Blank Antoni", In: ''Polski Słownik Biograficzny'', Vol.2: Beyzym Jan – Brownsford Marja, Polska Akademia Umiejętności (1936), reprint by Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, Kraków 1989, {{ISBN|83-04-03291-0}}
==External links== {{commons category-inline|Antoni Blank}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blank, Antoni}} Category:1785 births Category:1844 deaths Category:19th-century Polish painters Category:Polish male painters Category:Polish portrait painters Category:Academic staff of the University of Warsaw Category:Religious artists Category:People from Olsztyn Category:Painters from Warsaw