Introduction

2004-11-13

Joseph Henelt was born in Poland in November 1904. He early developped an interest in art. Sculpture, especially monumental sculpture, held particular appeal for him. In 1928 he enrolled at the Academy of Art at Cracow as a pupil of Prefessor Konstanty Laszczka. In 1934, following his graduation from the Academy, he spent a year on a scholarship granted by the Italian government, studying the art of antiquity and the works of the renaissance in Venice, Rome, Bologna, Florence. Later he taught drawing in the Teacher Training College and in the School of Arts and Crafts, both in Cracow.

In 1939, he was granted a followship of Cultural Exchange to Hungary. After Poland was occupied, he joined the newly organised Polish Army in France, and served in France, Norway and England.

Since 1946 he lived in United States.

From 1946 to 1951, he was a teacher of "Color and Design" at Fine Art School of Montoclair Art Museaum (Montoclair, New Jersey).
From 1952 until the pension, he worked as a designing sculptor employed by The General Motors Co (Warren, Michigan).

His works were exibited : in Poland, Hungary, Canada, Great Britain (Royal Academy of Fine Arts in London and Edinburgh), United states (National Academy of Design, Audubon Artists, Architectural Ligue, Whitney Museum in New York, Art Museum in Montoclair, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 3rd International Exhibition of Sculpture in Philadelphia, Detroit Art Institute), and in various other places.

The collections of his works can be found at : National Polish Cultural Foundation of Art Collections, National Polish Army Muzeum, University of Cracow, Polish Ministry of Education, General Post Office in Cracow, Westminster Cathedral in London, Polish Church in London, British Arsenal of Woolwich in London, Art Muzeum in Montoclair, and at private collections.

He died in the night of 11/12 November 2007. The last day of his life was his 103rd birthday.

Iconography