A painter of subjects from many parts of the world, Pawel Kontny began with wartime sketches and changed to a technique combining abstraction and realism.
He was born in Laurahuette, Poland, the son of a wealthy pastry shop owner. He studied architecture, but was interrupted by World War II. Traveling in many countries as a soldier, he sketched various landscapes but in 1945, he was captured and held as a prisoner of war in Italy.
After the war, he studied at the Union of Nuremberg Architects to help design buildings to replace ones destroyed in the war. He also married Irmgard, a dancer with the Nuremberg Opera Company and began having well received exhibitions of his work throughout Europe.
His primary subject became architecture which he built up on heavy weight masonite panels into structures with marble dust.
In 1969, the Kotnys moved to Denver, Colorado where he began painting the American West. In February, 1974, "American Artist" magazine had a feature article by John Jellico on Pawel Kontny.
An empty wall in your home is a blank canvas, and that’s good news. Whether you’ve chosen to arrange a collage of paintings in a hallway or carefully position a handful of wall-mounted sculptures in your dining room, there are a lot of options for beautifying your space with the antique and vintage wall decor and decorations available on 1stDibs.
If you’re seeking inspiration for your wall decor, we’ve got some ideas (and we can show you how to arrange wall art, too).
“I recommend leaving enough space above the piece of furniture to allow for usable workspace and to protect the art from other items damaging it,” says Susana Simonpietri, of Brooklyn home design studio Chango & Co.
Hanging a single attention-grabbing large-scale print or poster over your bar or bar cart can prove intoxicating, but the maximalist approach of a salon-style hang, a practice rooted in 17th-century France, can help showcase works of various shapes, styles and sizes on a single wall or part of a wall.
If you’re planning on creating an accent wall — or just aiming to bring a variety of colors and textures into a bedroom — there is more than one way to decorate with wallpaper. Otherwise, don’t overlook what textiles can introduce to a space. A vintage tapestry can work wonders and will be easy to move when you’ve found that dream apartment in another borough.
Express your taste and personality with the right ornamental touch for the walls of your home or office — find a range of contemporary art, vintage photography, paintings and other wall decor and decorations on 1stDibs now.