Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents Digital Catalog

Between Two Continents An exhibition & sale of artwork by Ann Arbor artist Leon A. Makielski, 1885-1974

FROM THE DIRECTOR We at the Schmidt’s Antiques Michigan Art Gallery are pleased to present a comprehensive retrospective of European and American landscape paintings along with portraits by Ann Arbor artist Leon Makielski, 1885-1974.

This remarkable body of work, recently acquired from the Makielski family, offers an opportunity to explore the artistry of an individual whose talent bridged continents and traditions. Comprising a majority of pieces that have never before been offered for purchase, this collection reflects Makielski’s enduring commitment to capturing the quiet, inherent beauty of his everyday surroundings, revealing a personal dialogue between the artist and landscape or figural subject.

Makielski’s career reflects a dynamic blend of European influence, regional identity, and artistic range. His formative training in Chicago, Paris, and at the Impressionist colony in Giverny shaped a deep and lasting engagement with both portraiture and landscape. These early foundations continued to inform his later work, particularly in the vivid scenes he painted during extended travels through the Blue Ridge Mountains and New England. After settling in Michigan, he became a key figure in the state’s artistic community, balancing local impact with a broader transatlantic perspective.

We are honored to present Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents, an exhibition celebrating the artist’s remarkable vision, made possible through the generous support of the Makielski family and heirs.

Elizabeth O’Connell Art Director The Michigan Art Gallery at Schmidt’s Antiques Inc.

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

1. A 1912 oil on artist board Parisian cityscape with a view of the Alexandre III Bridge, titled "Pont Alexander". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "585" verso. Image 13 1/4 x 9 1/2" high, framed 15 1/2 x 11 3/4" high overall.

EUROPE “You won’t like Leon Makielski’s paintings unless you feel trees should look like trees, fields like fields, bridges like bridges, and streets like streets. He is a painter whose pictures speak of earth and sky, whose canvases reflect harmony and color rather than conflict and discord.”

- Polish Daily News, November 17, 1966

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

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In 1908, Leon Makielski was appointed assistant instructor at the Art Institute of Chicago and awarded the prestigious John Quincy Adams Traveling Scholarship. The honor enabled him to study abroad, and in April 1909, he sailed for Paris, where he established his base for the next four years. Immersed in the vibrant art scene of late Belle Époque era France, Makielski continued his studies at the Académie Julian and the Grande Chaumière under Lucien Simon and Rene Menard, while also training privately with noted painter Henri Martin.

2. A 1911 oil on wood panel Parisian late spring landscape with a view of the Fontaine de l'Observatoire, with sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux in the gardens at the Luxembourg Palace, titled "Fountain Carpeau". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory "554" number verso. Image 13 1/2 x 10" high, framed 15 3/4 x 12 1/4" high overall.

3. A 1912 oil on wood panel Parisian summer cityscape featuring a view of the Luxor Obelisk through the public square traffic, titled "Place de la Concorde". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "550" verso. Image 13 x 9" high, framed 17 x 13" high overall.

In his free time, he painted the urban scenery of Paris as well as the surrounding French countryside, with a particular focus on the areas around Versailles and Giverny.

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

The Giverny artist colony developed in the late 19th century following Claude Monet’s (1840-1926) relocation to the village in 1883. Drawn by the idyllic landscape and the artistic innovations of Monet— widely regarded as a central figure in the development of Impressionism—numerous American and European artists were drawn to Giverny from the 1880s until the First World War. While Monet did not take on pupils, his influence permeated the colony, shaping the visual language of visiting painters who embraced plein air techniques, vibrant color palettes, and an emphasis on atmospheric light.

In the summer of 1911, Makielski painted in Giverny alongside fellow American artist Richard E. Miller and was closely associated with a community of Midwestern painters—including Karl Anderson, Karl Albert Buehr, Frederick Frieseke, and Lawton Parker—who were active in the region during the early 20th century. His work from this period reflects the colony’s prevailing aesthetic concerns and underscores Giverny’s continuing importance as a transatlantic nexus of Impressionist exchange.

4. A 1909-1911 oil on canvas overcast Giverny, France, landscape with a view of straw stacks, painted while Makielski was active in the Giverny Impressionist colony that formed around Claude Monet. Signed "LM A. Makielski" lower right, artist inventory number “1015" verso. Image 21 1/2 x 15 1/2" high, framed 23 x 17" high overall. Note: Another of Leon Makielski's "Straw Stack" paintings from the Giverny colony is shown on page 160 of William H. Gerdts's 1993 Monet's Giverny: An Impressionist Colony.

“The landscapes painted by Leon Makielski in 1909–1911 are the most traditional of any of the colonists, many of them grain-stack pictures that emulate Monet’s series from 20 years earlier. Judging by the impressive number of Giverny pictures, Makielski must have been incredibly prolific, concentrating in agrarian subjects, as had Theodore Robinson and others of the first generation.”

- William H. Gerdts, Monet’s Giverny: An Impressionist Colony Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

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Enabled by the flexibility of his European scholarship—which was supplemented by the support of industrialist John M. Studebaker, president of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company in South Bend, Indiana —Leon Makielski traveled widely across Europe, immersing himself in its artistic heritage. He visited major museums and painted in many of the continent’s most celebrated scenic and historic locations. These travels provided him with firsthand exposure to Old Master works and contemporary trends alike, deepening his technical skills and expanding his artistic perspective.

Among these destinations was Venice, long a magnet for American artists, including John Singer Sargent, Edward Darley Boit, Emile Carlsen and Maurice Prendergast, all of whom were working there during Makielski’s 1912 stay.

The city’s luminous atmosphere and layered history left a lasting impression on his work, influencing both his color palette and compositional choices in subsequent landscapes and city scenes.

5. A 1912 oil on artist board Venetian cityscape with a view of the Piazza San Marco with the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in the distance, titled "St. Mark's Column". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "629" verso. Image 8 x 10" high, framed 10 x 12" high overall.

Makielski’s time in Italy was particularly important to John M. Studebaker, who wrote to the artist:

“I hope that the time you will spend in Italy will prove of great benefit to you and your whole aim in staying in Europe was to be getting all the valuable information you can and experience from the old masters’ work. I felt that you should not miss the golden opportunity of getting out of Italy what you could in that direction.”

- J.M. Studebaker, August 13, 1912 04

6. A 20th century aquatint etching with a view of the Venice Harbor, titled "Venice". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" in pencil lower right, numbered "18/50" and titled lower left. Image 9 3/4 x 7 3/4" high, framed 15 3/4 x 13 3/4" high overall.

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

7. A 1911-1912 oil on canvas Venetian cityscape with a view of St. Mark’s Square. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, artist inventory number "1005" verso. Image 13 1/2 x 17 1/2" high, framed 18 3/4 x 22 3/4" high overall.

8. A 1912 oil on wood panel English twilight landscape with a view of the waterfront, titled "Oxford, England".

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, titled with artist inventory number "677" verso. Image 5 1/2 x 3 1/2" high, framed 7 1/2 x 5 1/2" high overall.

9. A 1911-1912 oil on wood panel English summer landscape with a view of a country estate, titled "England".

Signed "Leo A. Makielski" and titled with artist inventory number "168" verso. Image 5 1/2 x 4" high, framed 8 1/2 x 7" high overall.

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10. A 1911-1912 oil on wood panel English summer landscape with a view of a country estate amidst rolling hills, titled "Oxford, England".

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" and titled with artist inventory number "677" verso. Image 5 1/2 x 4" high, framed 7 1/2 x 6" high overall.

11. A 1912 oil on artist board Parisian cityscape with a view of the Alexandre III Bridge, titled "Pont Alexander". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, titled and dated with artist inventory number "654" verso. Image 12 3/4 x 9 3/4" high, framed 14 3/4 x 11 3/4" high overall.

12. A 1912 oil on artist board Parisian landscape with a view of a figure strolling under a large willow tree, titled "Weeping Willow". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number “652” verso. Image 13 1/2 x 9 1/2" high, framed 20 x 16" high overall.

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

1911 Le Salon Catalog featuring Leon Makielski

13. A 1912 oil on wood panel Parisian late spring landscape with a view of the Gardens at the Luxembourg Palace, titled "Luxembourg Gardens".

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory "551" number verso. Image 13 1/2 x 9 3/4" high, framed 18 1/4 x 14 1/2" high overall.

After time spent traveling around Europe, Makielski exhibited at the prestigious Salon des Artistes Français in Paris in 1911 and 1912. His inclusion in these juried exhibitions placed him among the leading academic and emerging modern artists of the time, affirming his skill and growing reputation on the international stage.

He originally booked his return passage to the United States on the Titanic but was unable to make the voyage. Unfortunately, two of his paintings were lost in the sinking.

His time in France and Italy represents a pivotal phase in his career, yielding some of his most accomplished early works and forging a distinctive style that fused American Impressionism with the aesthetics and techniques of the European masters.

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

14. A 1913 oil on artist board Parisian cityscape with a view of the Alexandre III Bridge, titled "Pont Alexander".

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated "1913" with artist inventory number "654" verso. Image 8 3/4 x 11 3/4" high, framed 10 x 13" high overall.

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15. A 1930s-1940s oil on canvas portrait of the Leon Makielski and two of his brothers, Stanislaw and Bronislaw Makielski, titled "The Three Brothers". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled on Detroit Institute of Arts label with artist inventory number "1675" verso. Image 35 1/2 x 47 1/2" high, framed 43 1/4 x 55 1/4" high overall.

FAMILY TIES “I worked very hard when the children were small, but I never lost myself, I didn’t have a good education, but the simple philosophy of life anyone can understand. I knew that it was impossible to give the children any assistance so I encouraged self reliance, and thrift. Mr. Makielski always encouraged them to study and read good books. Of course I wouldn’t be able to do so much had they not been the good children they were.”

- Interview with Leon Makielski’s mother, Elizabeth 08

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

BEGINNINGS IN THE MIDWEST “The story of Leon Makielski appears to have been almost the perfect fulfillment of the American dream as regards the life of an artist, at least as it was then understood.

Its protagonist was the son of a Polish immigrant who eventually settled in South Bend, Indiana. The young Leon had shown such an aptitude for art in his school days that he was sent to the Art Institute of Chicago for complete professional training.”

- Jean Paul Slusser, August 11, 1978 16. A 1913 oil on wood panel South Bend, Indiana, autumn landscape with a view of a field for harvest with a farm house in the background, titled "Gray Day".

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "669" verso. Image 15 3/4 x 12 3/4" high, framed 17 x 14" high overall.

17. A 1900s oil on canvas still life with fruit and wine, painted while Makielski was at the Art Institute of Chicago, 19031909. Signed "Leo A. Makielski" lower right, artist inventory number "88" verso.

Image 17 1/2 x 13 1/2" high, framed 22 1/4 x 18 1/4" high overall.

18. A 1910s colored pencil on paper South Bend, Indiana, summer landscape with a view of the St. Joe River. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" and numbered "680" lower left. Image 10 1/4 x 7 1/4" high, framed 17 1/2 x 14 1/2" high overall.

After returning to the United States from Europe in 1913, Makielski began establishing his artistic presence in the Midwest. He divided his time between his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and visits to his artistically inclined family in South Bend and Virginia.

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Leon Makielski’s sister Monica Makielski (1883-1970) worked with their brother Joseph Makielski (1889-1969) in the Makielski Art Shop that originally opened in 1911 at 214 West Jefferson in South Bend. After 100 years in business and the opening of multiple locations, the Makielski family closed all their downtown South Bend art shops in 2011. The various labels from the shop can still be seen on the backs of many of Leon Makielski’s frames.

19. A pastel on paper laid to canvas portrait of the artist's sister, Monica Makielski. Signed "LA Makielski" lower left, titled with artist inventory number "2283" verso. Image 13 1/2 x 17 1/2" high, framed 15 x 19" high overall.

Makielski family Art Shop at N. Main in South Bend, opened in 1932.

Source: Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend 10

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

STARTING A FAMILY IN MICHIGAN In 1915, Makielski moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to begin a new chapter both professionally and personally, accepting a position as Instructor of Fine Arts at the University of Michigan. In addition to helping lay the groundwork for what would become the University of Michigan School of Art, he chose Ann Arbor as the place to establish his home and start a family.

“I thoroughly enjoyed life in Ann Arbor. It is a beautiful spot... My studio home in Ann Arbor I built myself. That barn will always be home to me. Right now my wife and five children live there. They love it as I do. ” - Leon Makielski, Detroit Metro Times, May 11, 1930

20. A 1923 oil on artist board Michigan summer landscape with a view of a wheat field for harvest. Signed "Leon A Makielski" lower right, dated with artist inventory number "1125" verso. Image 13 1/2 x 9 1/4" high, framed 17 1/2 x 13 1/4" high overall.

21. A 1916 oil on wood panel Delhi Township, Michigan, evening landscape with a view of the Huron River, titled "Twilight". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" with artist inventory number "504" lower right, titled and dated verso. Image 15 3/4 x 12 3/4" high, framed 17 x 14" high overall.

22. A 1924 oil on artist board Michigan spring landscape with a view of an outbuilding in a field, titled "Cloudy Day". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "2194" verso. Image 11 1/4 x 8 1/4" high, framed 14 x 11" high overall.

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Leon Makielski’s Studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan

“One can scarcely gain an idea of

23. A 1930s oil on canvas Michigan turn of the season landscape with a view of a field for harvest and a red barn in the background. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, artist inventory number "2148" verso. Image 21 1/2 x 17 1/2" high, framed 24 3/4 x 20 3/4" high overall.

the scope of this artist’s activities without taking into account the monumental studio-residence he created for himself and his growing family on a generous piece of hillside land on Geddes Avenue.

Reconstructing a fine old barn which he had moved for the purpose, this sturdy wielder of the hammer and shovel as well as of the brush ended with a variable private citadel, which served him for the personal and professional activities of a very long lifetime.”

- Jean Paul Slusser, August 11, 1978

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24. A 1930s-1940s pastel on paper Michigan summer landscape with a view of a small inland lake. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" and numbered "2405" lower right. Image 14 x 11" high, framed 19 1/4 x 16 1/2" high overall.

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

VISITING BROTHERS IN APPALACHIA Always interested in travel, Leon Makielski often visited his brothers Stanislaw (1893–1969) and Bronislaw (1901–1986), both of whom had made their homes in Virginia. These visits were more than familial reunions—they also offered Makielski opportunities to experience the varied landscape and rich historical atmosphere of the region. For an artist deeply attuned to setting and mood, Appalachia’s rolling hills, colonial architecture and pastoral light provided new visual inspiration. The slower pace of life and connection to family offered a welcome contrast to his professional obligations in the Midwest, allowing time for reflection and artistic exploration.

“Makielski’s landscapes remind the viewer of the pleasant places about which the Psalmists of old rhapsodized. His fields are heavy with ripened grain or stacked with harvested corn. His lakes reflect a peaceful countryside in which some of the bank flowers are actually recognizable. His country lanes are definitely rural, his fishing villages appropriately simple, while his autumn scenes catch and hold the eye with a subdued palette of golden glories.”

- Polish Daily News, November 17, 1966

25. A 1920s oil on canvas Appalachian summer forest landscape. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, artist inventory number "678" verso. Image 17 1/2 x 13 1/2" high, framed 19 x 15" high overall.

26. A 1922 oil on canvas Virginia summer landscape with a vista view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, titled "Sunset". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled on label with artist inventory number "829" verso. Image 31 1/2 x 25 1/2" high, framed 36 1/2 x 30 1/2" high overall.

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27. A 1940s oil on canvas Appalachian spring landscape with a view of a Cherry Blossom tree in front of a farm house along a country road. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, artist inventory number "1808" verso.

Image 27 1/2 x 19 1/2" high, framed 35 1/2 x 27 1/2" high overall.

28. A 1930s oil on canvas Appalachian autumn landscape with a view of hay stacks in front of a town in the background, titled "Autumn". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, titled with artist inventory number "1744" and partial labels verso.

Image 27 1/2 x 19 1/2" high, framed 36 x 28" high overall.

29. A 1920s oil on canvas Virginia summer landscape with a vista view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, artist inventory number "1716" verso. Image 35 1/2 x 23 1/2" high, framed 46 1/4 x 34 1/4" high overall.

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

Bronislaw Makielski, who also studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, collaborated with his brother Leon on the mural at Lincoln School in Ypsilanti, Michigan—a significant example of their shared commitment to public art. During visits to Virginia, where Bronislaw lived and worked, Leon found both familial connection and artistic exchange, often drawing inspiration from the region’s landscape and cultural history.

30. A 1930s-1940s watercolor on paper Appalachian late summer landscape with a view of a field for harvest and a large tree in the background.

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" with artist inventory number "2328" lower right. Image 11 x 8 1/2" high, framed 18 3/4 x 16 1/4" high overall.

31. A 1930s oil on wood panel Virginia summer overcast landscape, titled "Stormy Day". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled with artist inventory number "2171" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8 1/2" high, framed 13 x 10" high overall.

32. A 1920s oil on wood panel Appalachian summer landscape with a view of a covered bridge and a country road. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, artist inventory number "929" verso. Image 11 3/4 x 8 3/4" high, framed 13 x 10" high overall.

33. A 1940s watercolor on paper Appalachian autumn landscape with a view of a field for harvest.

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" with artist inventory number "2288" lower left. Image 19 1/2 x 14 1/2" high, framed 24 1/2 x 19 1/2" high overall.

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Stanislaw Makielski studied architecture at the University of Virginia, where he later became a professor and a prominent figure in shaping the campus. He was commissioned to design several major buildings in and around the university, including significant additions to historic libraries, gymnasiums, fraternity houses and private residences.

34. A 1922 oil on artist board University of Virginia campus landscape with a view of The Rotunda designed by Thomas Jefferson, titled "University of Virginia". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled with artist inventory number "886" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8 1/2" high, framed 13 x 10" high overall.

35. A 1930s oil on artist board University of Virginia campus landscape with a view of a pavilion, titled "University of Virginia". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, titled with artist inventory number "2126" verso. Image 8 1/2 x 11 1/2" high, framed 13 x 10" high overall.

In 1930, Stanislaw became the exclusive architect for the American Church Institute for Negroes (ACIN), designing modern schools for African American students in the rural South. His work blended Colonial Revival with Art Deco and industrial materials, reflecting the ACIN’s progressive mission and helping legitimize its efforts among northern philanthropies. Leon Makielski, inspired by his brother’s projects, expressed interest in painting Virginia’s distinctive architecture and the evolving Southern landscape.

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

36. A 1930s-1940s watercolor on paper University of Virginia campus landscape.

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" with artist inventory number "2327" lower right.

Image 13 3/4 x 9 3/4" high, framed 18 3/4 x 14 3/4" high overall.

37. A 1920s oil on artist board University of Virginia campus landscape with a view of The Rotunda Library designed by Thomas Jefferson, titled "Library, University of Virginia". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled with artist inventory number "2173" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8 1/2" high, framed 13 1/4 x 10 1/4" high overall.

38. A 1930s oil on artist board Washington, D.C. landscape with a view of the the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall, titled "Smithsonian Institution". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled with artist inventory number "2204" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8 1/2" high, framed 14 1/4 x 11 1/4" high overall.

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39. A 1920s oil on wood panel Vermont summer landscape, titled "Covered Bridge". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled with artist inventory number "1096" verso. Image 15 1/2 x 12 1/2" high, framed 19 1/2 x 16 1/2" high overall.

NEW ENGLAND & ROBERT FROST “Now several of Mr. Makielski’s pictures hang on the walls of Mr. Frost’s Vermont home and Mr. Frost has become a regular visitor at the Makielski studio home on Geddes Road.

He demands as a reward for his efforts to see all the Impressionist pictures which Makielski still keeps on file in his studio. Mr. Frost brought [poet] Louis Untermeyer, who had become interested in Impressionist work, to the Makielski home. Since then Mr. Frost has entertained many of his notable guests with visits there.”

- The Detroit News, March 11, 1923 18

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

EARLY EXCURSIONS TO VERMONT “These landscapes are quiet, unpretentious, contemplative works. The viewer conditioned to the stridency and aggressiveness of much contemporary work would do well to spend an hour of close examination and appreciation of skills which deserve considerable respect.”

- Robert Iglehart, October 1, 1976 Around the time he joined the University of Michigan faculty in 1915, Makielski began making road trips up the East Coast to New England, drawn by its dramatic seasonal landscapes and quiet rural character. In addition to visiting Eastern art galleries, these visits offered a retreat from academic life and were a rich source of visual inspiration that aligned with his Impressionist interest in light, atmosphere, and the rhythms of nature.

40. A 1915 oil on wood panel Waterford, Vermont, summer landscape with a view of the town, titled "Clouds". Signed "Leon Makielski" lower left, titled with artist inventory number "733" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8" high, framed 16 1/2 x 13" high overall.

41. A 1915 oil on wood panel Vermont pastoral summer landscape with a view of the Green Mountains, titled "Clouds and Shadows". Signed "Leon Makielski" lower right, titled with artist inventory number "1030" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8 1/2" high, framed 13 x 10" high overall.

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42. A 1917 oil on wood panel Vermont summer landscape with a view of a rural road, titled "Country Road". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, titled with artist inventory number "158" verso. Image 11 3/4 x 8 3/4" high, framed 13 x 10" high overall.

MEETING FROST “Then came Robert Frost, Michigan’s visiting poet. Frost made no effort to conceal the fact that he was tired of studied landscapes and portraits. To rouse him one afternoon Mr. Makielski hung an impressionist picture for him. Immediately Robert Frost was interested. He demanded to see more of them, and so Mr. Makielski drew out from his files all those pictures which he had hidden away for fear they would bring adverse criticism from art lovers.”

- The Detroit News, March 11, 1923 Robert Frost first visited the University of Michigan in 1921, serving a ten-month appointment as the university’s first officially recorded poet-in-residence. That autumn, he met Leon Makielski, who had been teaching in the newly established College of Architecture for five years. The two developed a lasting friendship during Frost’s intermittent three-year stay at the university—one that Makielski later credited to a shared appreciation for art.

43. A 1922 oil on artist board Vermont overcast spring landscape with a view of the Green Mountains, titled "Gray Day". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "944" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8 1/2" high, framed 14 3/4 x 11 3/4" high overall.

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

44. A 1922 oil on artist board Vermont summer pastoral landscape, titled "Summer Day". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "973" verso. Image 11 1/4 x 8 1/4" high, framed 15 1/4 x 12 1/4" high overall.

45. A 1920s oil on artist board New England twilight village landscape, titled "Setting Sun".

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, titled with artist inventory number "1139" verso.

Image 8 3/4 x 5 1/2" high, framed 12 3/4 x 9 1/2" high overall.

46. A 1922 oil on wood panel Vermont spring landscape with a view of a winding road and the Green Mountains in the distance, titled "Vermont". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "923" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8 1/2" high, framed 13 x 10" high overall.

47. A 1920s oil on canvas Vermont summer pastoral landscape with a view of the Green Mountains, titled "After the Shower". Signed Leon A. Makielski lower left, titled on left canvas edge with artist inventory number "1018" verso. Image 21 1/2 x 15 1/2" high, framed 25 1/2 x 19 1/2" high overall.

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48. A 1920s oil on wood panel Waterford, Vermont, summer landscape with a view of the town, titled "Lower Waterford". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled with artist inventory number "935" verso. Image 11 1/2 x 8 1/2" high, framed 14 1/2 x 11 1/2" high overall.

The seasonal North Eastern landscape was central to Robert Frost’s poetry, offering a powerful lens through which he explored themes of nature, work, change and reflection. From the renewal of spring and the richness of summer, to the quiet transition of fall and the stillness of winter, each season inspired vivid imagery in poems like Birches and After Apple-Picking. These shifting landscapes helped shape Frost’s voice and rooted his work deeply in the rhythms of rural New England life.

Similarly, for Makielski, seasonality played a vital role in shaping his artistic vision. As a painter attuned to natural transitions, Makielski found expressive power in the changing seasons, using them to explore mood, color, and the passage of time across both landscape and portrait.

49. A 1930s watercolor on paper Vermont autumn morning landscape with a view of rolling hills, titled "Sunrise". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" and numbered "2368" lower right,

50. A 1940s oil on artist board Vermont autumn landscape with a view of the Green Mountains and a figure in the foreground, titled "October". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, titled with artist

titled verso. Image 11 1/2 x 7 1/2" high, framed 19 1/4 x 14 3/4" high overall.

inventory number "2282" verso. Image 13 3/4 x 9 3/4" high, framed 17 1/4 x 13 1/4" high overall.

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

Makielski poses with his 1923 portrait of U of M poet-in-residence Robert Frost , published by the Ann Arbor News, February, 1963.

In 1923, Makielski convinced Frost to sit for a portrait to add to his “Rogues Gallery”. The University of Michigan successfully purchased the portrait in 1963 after establishing the Robert Frost Portrait Fund.

“Frost laughed when I first asked him to pose...[He] sat for about 20 hours during the space of a year, talking about his experiences abroad. You can tell from the portrait that he is talking.”

- Leon Makielski, Detroit Free Press, 1964 51. A 1922 oil on wood panel Vermont summer landscape with a view of the Green Mountains, titled "A Summer Day". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "955" verso. Image 11 3/4 x 8 3/4" high, framed 13 x 10" high overall.

52. A 1940s watercolor on paper Waterford, Vermont, spring pastoral landscape with a view of the town in the distance. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" and numbered "1957" lower left. Image 18 3/4 x 13 3/4" high, framed 30 1/2 x 25 1/2" high overall.

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53. A 1951 oil on artist board Vermont

Letter from Robert Frost to Leon

autumn landscape with a figure on horse back, titled "Autumn". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated with artist inventory number "1882" verso.

Image 19 1/2 x 15 1/2" high, framed 25 1/2 x 21 1/2" high overall.

Makielski

“Dear Makielski, Enclosed is my check for half of what I promised you; the remaining fifty dollars I will try to send you in April or May, depending on how well I am and to how money-making this winter.

This in back payment on the Red Tree will let you know we are thinking of you and wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

Ever Yours, Robert Frost Amherst Mass December 21, 1932” Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

54. A 1930s oil on wood panel Vermont summer pastoral landscape with a view of a solitary tree, titled "Tree in the Meadow".

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled with artist inventory number "2235" verso. Image 8 3/4 x 11 3/4" high, framed 10 x 13" high overall.

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55. A 1932 oil on canvas portrait of Mary Buffington, titled “Blue Bird”. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled and dated on label with artist inventory number "1079" verso. Image 31 1/2 x 25 1/2" high, in a period Newcomb Macklin giltwood frame 41 1/2 x 35 1/2" high overall.

PORTRAITURE “I always tell people to talk to me when they are sitting for a portrait. They are at their best then - alive, vital and energetic.”

- Leon Makielski, The Ann Arbor News, April 29, 1950

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

EARLY PORTRAITS While at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1903-1909, Leon Makielski studied portraiture under Ralph Emmerson Clarkson (1861-1942). He also spent time with the eminent portraitist at Eagle’s Nest artist colony in Oregon, Illinois—a formative period that deepened his technical skill and introduced him to a circle of influential artists and patrons. It was during this time that Makielski was introduced to industrialist John M. Studebaker, who acted as his patron while Makielski studied in Europe.

56. A 1900s oil on canvas model portrait study of a seated woman's profile, painted while Makielski was at the Art Institute of Chicago, 1903-1909.

Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right. Image 25 1/2 x 31 1/2" high, framed 32 x 38" high overall.

57. A 1913 oil on canvas portrait of Leon Makielski's brother Henry and his pet dog, titled "Henry and His Hound". Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, dated with artist inventory number "694" verso. Image 31 1/2 x 39" high, framed 38 x 45 1/2" high overall.

“My object in giving you the opportunity that I have was that I had the utmost faith in your ability to become an artist and the utmost confidence in your honor, honesty and integrity…I want to see during my life that my efforts on your behalf has helped make you one of the foremost portrait painters of the country. The encouragement that Mr. Clarkson has always given me, caused me to believe that you are going to make good.”

- J.M. Studebaker, August 23, 1912 Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

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58. A 1930s oil on artist board portrait of Fred Meinzinger (1883–1947). Signed "LA Makielski" lower left, titled with artist inventory number "2198" verso. 8 1/2 x 11 1/2" high, framed 11 1/4 x 14 1/4" high overall.

Fred Meinzinger was a Canadian-American artist and educator who founded the Meinzinger Art School in 1928. The school quickly became one of the city’s leading independent art institutions, offering instruction in commercial and fine arts.

Known for its practical, skill-based curriculum, the Meinzinger Art School played a vital role in nurturing Detroit’s artistic talent during the interwar and postwar periods.

After returning to the United States in 1913, Makielski taught at the Meinzinger Art School in Detroit before joining the University of Michigan faculty in 1915. He remained at the University until 1927, when he chose to focus exclusively on portraiture. His subjects included University of Michigan faculty and administrators, influential professionals and business leaders, and prominent figures in state and local politics. Many of these portraits were painted in his Detroit studios at 3408 Woodward Avenue and 2932 Gratiot Avenue.

59. A 1920s oil on canvas portrait of Detroit socialite and Countess Elizabeth "Ilsa" Metz.

Signed "Leon A. Makielski"

60. A 1940s graphite on paper portrait of British prime minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965). Signed "Leon A.

61. A 1930s oil on artist board portrait of industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947). Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower left, titled with

lower left, titled with artist inventory number "1433" verso.

Image 19 1/2 x 23 1/2" high, framed 25 x 29" high overall.

Makielski" and titled lower right, artist inventory number "2460" verso. Sight 7 1/4 x 11 1/4" high, framed 12 3/4 x 16

artist inventory number 2063 verso. Image 15 1/2 x 19 1/2" high, framed 22 x 26" high overall.

3/4" high overall.

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

In addition to the portrait of Robert Frost, Makielski painted portraits of the Kresge family, Ambassador Bridge designer Ralph Modjeski, Michigan governor Frank Murphy, architect and designer Eliel Saarinen, industrialist J. M. Studebaker, the Polish Ambassador to the United States Titus Filipowicz, and many more.

Today, over fifty of Makielski’s portraits of faculty members hang in University of Michigan buildings.

“Mr. Makielski is described as a master portrait painter who has devoted his life to the perfection of a conservative, traditional style that is producing some of the most outstanding portraits of his time.”

- South Bend Tribune, April 29, 1950 In 1925, Leon Makielski joined The Scarab Club, Detroit’s leading arts institution and a hub for the city’s creative elite. Founded in 1907, the club served as a vital gathering place for artists, architects and patrons, fostering collaboration and artistic exchange. Makielski taught portraiture to his fellow members into the 1950s, contributing to the club’s legacy as a center of serious artistic practice in Detroit.

62. A 1940s-1950s charcoal on paper three quarter length nude sketch of a woman, drawn when Makielski was teaching at the Scarab Club. Initialed "LAM" lower right. Sight 9 x 12" high, framed 14 1/4 x 19 1/4" high overall.

Makielski with his fellow Scarab Club members at 217 Farnsworth Street, Detroit, standing in front of one of Makielski’s nude sketches, circa 1950.

Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

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63. A 1922 oil on canvas portrait of Joan Elizabeth Camp DeBaker of Ann Arbor, Michigan, as child attired in a blue dress, sitting in club chair. Signed "Leon A. Makielski" lower right, titled, dated and annotated on Detroit Institute of Arts/Scarab Club label with artist inventory number "821" verso. Image 25 1/2 x 31 1/2" high, in a period Newcomb Macklin giltwood frame 34 1/4 x 40 1/4" high overall.

Joan was the daughter of Dr. Carl D. Camp, an internationally known neurologist and chairman of the University of Michigan Medical School's Department of Neurology, and eventually was the divorced wife of Charles E. DeBaker, Michigan football star and track team captain in the early 1930s. Her marriage (1935) and death (1944) were documented by the Ann Arbor News.

Leon Makielski’s career represents a remarkable synthesis of transatlantic influence, regional identity and artistic versatility. His formative years in the Midwest and in Europe profoundly shaped his stylistic development and enriched his lifelong engagement with both portraiture and landscape.

These early experiences continued to inform his later work, as seen in the luminous scenes he painted during extended travels through the Blue Ridge Mountains and New England.

Upon settling in Michigan, Makielski not only contributed significantly to the state’s artistic culture through his teaching and portrait commissions, but also maintained an enduring connection to the broader artistic currents that shaped his vision. His legacy endures in a body of work that bridges European refinement and American Impressionism, offering a compelling portrait of an artist whose practice was rooted in Leon Makielski sketching Detroit

place yet informed by a cosmopolitan sensibility.

Mayor Frank Murphy, 1931

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Leon Makielski: Between Two Continents

The Michigan Art Gallery at Schmidt’s Antiques Inc. 5138 West Michigan Avenue Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197

www.MichiganArtGallery.com