Roman Kryzanovsky (1885-1929), one of Detroit’s best known painters and a founder of the Scarab Club, was found dead in his studio. Death had evidently occurred peacefully during the night. It was attributed to heart failure by the coroner’s office.

Kryzanovsky had lived in Detroit three years before the Scarab Club was formed, having come here in 1910 after traveling extensively in Arizona and other western states. He married Sari Pickett in 1915, a Kentucky girl then living in Detroit. 

By birth of Polish nobility, Kryzanovsky was born in 1885 and spent his youth on a large estate near Kiev, in southern Russia. His education was continued in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and later in the art schools of Paris, where he studied under many of the well known painters of today as well as a decade ago. It was said that Rodin was interested in him, as were also Renoir and Laurens. At this period of his life Kryzanovsky was receiving a substantial allowance from his family in Poland. His father, Constantine Julian Kryzanovsky, died when he was 7 years old. 

During the Russo-Japanese war, Kryzanovsky served with distinction as an officer in the Russian Navy. He was decorated for valor with the Cross of St. George, the highest honor at the disposal of the government at that time.  With the rumble of the Russian revolution and the collapse of the old Russia during the world war, Kryzanovsky found himself stranded and without money. He came to the United States where he traveled for his health with his brother Constantine. 

After leading the life of a wanderer for several years, Kryzanovsky came to Detroit. Shortly after helping to found the Scarab Club, he went to the University of Michigan, where for two years he was the instructor in painting.  Later he returned to Detroit to start a school of art at 1304 East Jefferson Avenue. The school had for pupils many of Detroit’s best known commercial artists and art buyers of today. 

In regards to his works, Clyde Burroughs said yesterday: “None too much praise can be given to Kryzanovsky’s works. The (Detroit) Institute has in its permanent collection two of his paintings; one is titled Kismet, and is a portrait of his wife. It was presented to the Institute by the Twentieth Century Club in 1926. The other is a still life, which was purchased by the Institute after it had been awarded the Founder’s Prize in 1920. 

Kryzanovsky exhibited for many years in the Annual Exhibition of American Art, and also in the Michigan artist’s exhibit. He took four prizes in the latter exhibition and his work was always lauded when exhibited.”

It was learned that just before his death, Kryzanovsky had secured the commission to paint a portrait of the late Edwin Denby, former Secretary of the Navy, for the Denby Memorial Association. 

The painter is survived by his wife Sari, also a painter of note, and who has recently returned from New York; his daughter Romana, 6 years old; his mother, Countess Felsra of Warsaw, and two brothers. 

Source:

Obituary:  Detroit Free Press, 1 Aug, 1929.