Marian Gadzalski

Polish artist photographer. Photographs of horses and landscapes of Podlasie became his lifelong passion. One of the Polish magicians of horse photography.

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Born on April 10, 1934 in Psary near Piotrków Trybunalski. He died tragically on August 12, 1985, in a car accident. He was buried at the Służewo Cemetery at ul. Reneta in Warsaw.

Marian Gadzalski is a Polish artist photographer. Member of the Warsaw District of the Association of Polish Art Photographers.

On the eve of the tragic accident on the road near Grójec, when he was going to the Michałów stud to take a few more photos for the next album about horses, he confided to his friends: "I am beginning to believe that I will now be able to live and work normally".

This sudden departure of a man active and creatively active until his last moments, despite a heart disease and long-term convalescence after a serious operation, evokes special regret and leads to sad reflection. (…)

Read more in an article by Zofia Raczkowska from 1985 and/ or in the entry about the artist in PCBJ… (click to go to the Polish Digital Equestrian Library)

Author: Zofia Raczkowska

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“I must admit that I was glad to hear about the upcoming album with Marian (Marek) Gadzalski's photographs and texts about his work. Especially since it's the 37th anniversary of his death. For many years, his great monochrome, black and white, but also color photographs set a certain style in horse photography. In those days, only a few photographers had access to noble horses. There were many reasons, but the safety of extremely valuable animals set a certain limit and was paramount.

Gadzalski's photographs could be admired sporadically in galleries or in calendars and promotional materials of the Foreign Trade Centre. The appearance in 1978 of the extensive author's album "Horses" became a major publishing event. The first edition of the book, although extremely expensive, disappeared from bookstore shelves in a flash. He was working on another big album, but plans were interrupted by sudden death.

Memories of Marek and his projects were often present during conversations about photography and alternative techniques that he used in his work. During conversations with Zosia Raczkowska, another recognized horse photographer, Marek's style of photography and its implementation were often mentioned. Similarly, during the Union (the Association of Polish Art Photographers, of which he was a member) horse plein-airs, his work was mentioned by colleagues, and although I did not have the pleasure of meeting Gadzalski in person, I thought that he set a certain style in photographing horses. Later, Zofia Raczkowska and her husband Mirosław took over the "baton", and their photographs have taken over the "world" to this day. Most photographers are not aware that this direction in presenting horses has its source in Komorów near Warsaw.”

Author: Mariusz Wideryński