Polish painter, graduate of the Institute Hernals in Vienna.
Felicja Switalska was born in 1902 in Wadowice as the daughter of Maria and Adolf Kinst. Maria, née Switalska, a landowner from near Lviv (born in 1873), who, among other things, taught French in Wadowice Gymnasium (1921 - 1924). Her father Adolf Kinst, of Czech descent, was a sub-intendant in the C.K. army. Felicia's husband was also a military officer Bronisław Midloch - a major in the 12 P.P. of the Wadowice area.
Felicia was connected with Wadowice all her life. However, due to her father's service in the Austrian army and the consequent changes in the location of his garrison, she completed her elementary school in Hungary and her junior high school in Vienna. She was a student at the 'Hernals' Institute (the Educational Institute for Officers' Daughters in Vienna Hernals) where she took a course in painting and drawing. She studied painting with Prof. A.Kunzfeld. She also studied painting in Lviv. An exhibition of works in 1937 is considered the beginning of Felicia's artistic activity.
During the occupation, in Wadowice, she took part in secret teaching. Since 1945, she taught foreign languages (French, English and German) in Wadowice high schools. In 1945-48, 1967/68 she was a professor of French at the Wadowice High School and Gymnasium, and in 1948-50 at the vocational school. She also taught at the 'Collegium Marianum' on the Mound with the Pallottine priests. In 1953-57, she worked as head of the common room at the Economic Technical School.
Felicja Switalska belonged to the Union of Polish Artists since 1946. After World War II, she was also a member of the artistic and literary group 'Czartak II', referring ideologically to Emil Zegadłowicz's pre-war 'Czartak' group. Among the members of 'Czartak II' we find: Jozef Jura, Michal Kręcioch, Ludwik Jach jr., Karol Pustelnik and Franciszek Suknarowski.
Felicia primarily painted still lifes with motifs of multicolored flowers, portraits and landscapes. In her work she used oil paints as well as pastels. Toward the end of her life, she lost her eyesight. She died in Wadowice, at the age of 79, and was buried in the local parish cemetery.