Background
Piasecka Johnson was born in Staniewicze near Grodno, Poland (now in Belarus). Her father was a farmer.
Piasecka Johnson was born in Staniewicze near Grodno, Poland (now in Belarus). Her father was a farmer.
She graduated from Wroclaw University with a Master of Arts
In Art History. She left Poland in 1968, with just $100. Piasecka was hired as a cook by Esther Underwood Johnson, then wife of John Seward Johnson I. She then worked as the Johnsons" chambermaid. One time seeing his admiration for one of the paintings he had bought, she said casually that he overpaid for it because it is not a picture of a master, but his disciple and by using the dates proved lieutenant
Johnson was shocked about her knowledge and expertise, and appointed her as consultant to his purchases of works of art
A year after she became Johnson"s chambermaid, she became his curator for the Seward Johnson"s art collection.