Portrait of Rufun Morozowicz (bronze)

It is a bust of a healthy-looking man, slightly tilted forward and to the right. He is wearing a jacket, shirt and a tie. The sculpture is a bronze casting.

The casting was made in Zakłady odlewnicze “L. Kranc and T. Łempicki” in Warsaw. Krantz’s (vel Kranc) plant offered various types of bronze products such as chandeliers, candelabras, candlesticks, clocks, lamps and candlesticks, and as an artistic specialty, casts-monuments. Over the years, the plant have cast works of many, among them: Henryk Kuna, Xawery Dunikowski, Jan Antoni Biernacki, Józef Gabowicz, Kazimierz Stanisław Ostrowski, Abraham Eisenberg and Konstanty Laszczka.

The father-in-law of Jan Szczepkowski, Rufin Morozowicz, was born on 8 December 1851 in Warsaw and died on 14 April 1931 in Milanówek. He was a popular actor, singer and director. He graduated from the philological secondary school and began studying at the Drama School in Warsaw under J. Chęciński, but was expelled after two months due to “lack of abilities”. It did not discourage him, however, and he was successful. He celebrated his uninterrupted series of successes, among others, on the Warsaw stages of Teatr Mały and Teatr Nowy, becoming one of the most popular actors in Warsaw. In 1888, he became the director of the operetta. He was most valued as an actor: master of the so-called cold comedy, resulting not so much from cheerfulness and serenity as from overturning the ordinary order of things. He did not have great voice conditions, but he was distinguished by exemplary diction. The greatest impression was made by the accuracy of his intonations, looks and gestures, irresistible for comical ones, despite the simplicity and restraint of expression. The great joy of his contemporaries was aroused by current and virulent couplets, which he wrote himself, adding them to his roles. He was a talented author, he translated and adapted the librettos of French operettas, and even wrote librettos and comedies himself. For some time he had a theater decorations factory. He was also involved in the wine trade (because of which he lost a lot of money), and made his fortune in the production of cosmetics. His first wife was actress Rozalia from the Kozakowscy family, the second - Waleria from the Kotowicz family(from 1885).

The object is 46 cm high, 55 cm wide and 22 cm deep. The exhibit belongs to the collection of the Maria and Jan Szczepkowski Foundation.