Born: 1695 or 1698, Poland
Died: 14 March 1765
Country most active: Poland
Also known as: Elzbieta Kowalska
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
Because of her exceptional talent Elzbieta Druzbacka has earned for herself an outstanding place among the Polish writers of the Eighteenth century. She was brought up in the Courts of nobility, in an atmosphere of great culture. The sensitiveness and discernment of the young poetess’ mind, made her react vividly to the developments of her period.
Her work was greatly influenced by the works of the great Polish poet, Waclaw Potocki. Her sincere love for the beauties of nature is expressed in The Four Seasons of the Year, In Praise of Forests, and The Four Elements of Nature.
Her love of the beautiful in all its aspects, led her to sharp satire and allegorical criticisms of contemporary social life, especially in the world of women; the women whose greatest interest in life is clothes, the idlers and gossip-mongers, and the religious hypocrites. Druzbacka’s poetry, although of didactic value, showed features of progress in thought far in advance of her time, and came like a breath of fresh air. It broke through the petty prejudices of social life, and welcomed the evidences of cultural evolution and civilization. This indicated the courage and greatness of mind of Druzbacka, who as a woman and poetess, is a rare type among the women of the world of any age, and especially of 200 years ago. Among her best known works are Life of David, Life of Mary Magdalen, Syloreta, Argenida, Story of Prince Adolf and Ortoban and Terlida.