Early Life, Family and Training
Maria Gażycz was born on 20 March 1860 in Vishera, within the Kursk Governorate of the Russian Empire. Her upbringing was shaped by the distinct backgrounds of her parents. Her father, Tadeusz Nowina-Chrzanowski, was a Polish nobleman and an engineer who worked on the construction of bridges and railways in the Kursk region. Her mother, Elzbieta, came from the aristocratic Nobel family. Following her mother's wishes, Maria Gażycz was raised within the strict traditions of the Orthodox faith.
The family spent their winters in Warsaw, and Maria Gażycz, along with her three siblings, received her education at home. This early period of study provided the foundation for her developing interest in drawing. By 1874, she began formal training in Warsaw, studying under Wojciech Gerson . She remained a student in his classes until 1878.
Artistic Education and Marriage
In 1878, her work was presented at the Zachęta for her first exhibition. That same year, she married Konstantin Gażycz, a landowner from the Grodno region. Their life together included the birth of a son, though he died in infancy.
Her training continued through Munich and eventually led her to Paris. Between 1891 and 1895, she attended the Académie Julian. In those studios, she studied under William-Adolphe Bouguereau , Tony Robert-Fleury , and Jules Lefebvre . During these Parisian years, she also met Olga Boznańska .
Religious Life and Later Years
Following the death of her husband, she turned toward a different life. She converted to Catholicism and entered the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Rome in 1906. Her commitment to the order deepened through her vows; she took her first vows in 1908 and her perpetual vows in 1912. From that point on, her paintings bore a new signature: Sister Paula of Nazareth.
Her service moved between different convents. She remained at the Sisters' convent in Grodno until 1919, after which she served in Lublin. Between 1923 and 1928, she lived in Albano, where she held the role of Mistress of novices. She continued as the Superior of the convent there until 1932. As her health began to fail, she returned to Grodno, where she died on 13 September 1935.
Notable Artistic Works
Her brushwork captures specific moments of presence and quietude. In 1885, she produced a Portrait of a woman Self-Portrait with Palette black dress with heavy embroidery. The background uses dominant yellow and green tones that contrast against the darkness of her clothing, while her intense gaze provides a psychological weight to the composition.
The following year, 1897, brought Dama w stroju balowym (Lady in a Ball Dress). This painting explores the appearance of a woman from high society, though a sense of melancholy settles over the scene. The subject looks toward the edge of her shiny white dress, which she holds in her hand. Behind her, the background shifts through shapeless waves of color, moving from light on the left to dark on the right.
Much of her output remains tied to her religious life and the community she served. More than 20 works are held within the properties of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. These paintings remain part of the quiet spaces maintained by the order.
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Aktualizováno dne 18. října 2026
