One of the most popular Polish artists of the 20th century, Zdzislaw Beksinski, almost never gave names to his works. Including because of this, his post-apocalyptic paintings are perceived as a kind of integral world. A world of horror, despair, or whatever you see in these pictures. The dark corridors of life attract the attention of the audience, so Beksiński has been favored by popularity throughout his entire creative life, mainly in Western Europe, Japan and the USA. However, this did not save him from death at the hands of crazy teenagers.
Beksiński tried his hand at many genres: sculpture, photography, graphic art, and turned to painting in the 1960s. The first paintings were painted in the spirit of abstract art, later surrealistic motifs began to dominate. The author himself believed that he must achieve such a level of skill that the viewer was born with the conviction that he was photographing dreams. This explains the maximum detail, saturation of the picture with semantic elements. By the way, the Pole had no art education.
Until the mid-1980s, the most famous period in his work continued - the so-called "fantastic". The phantasmagoric works of this time were dominated by infernal landscapes, nightmarish figures and sinister supernatural architecture. At the same time, the artist claimed that most of his works are funny and should not cause internal rejection.
All canvases Beksinsky wrote exclusively to the sounds of classical music (because he could not stand silence) on canvases prepared by himself. In the 90s he got acquainted with digital technologies and concentrated his attention on this direction.
Beksiński lived with his wife Zofia and son Tomasz in Warsaw. In the last years of the 20th century, he was overtaken by a series of misfortunes. His wife died of cancer, and a year later Tomasz, an acclaimed translator, popular music journalist and goth rock fan, committed suicide. He was a big fan of The Legendary Pink Dots, and after he killed himself, all the covers of the Polish editions of the band's albums were decorated with Beksiński's digital artwork in memory of Tomasz.
On February 22, 2005, Beksinsky, at the age of 75, was found dead at the door of his own apartment. There were 17 stab wounds on his body. This atrocity was committed by the 19-year-old son of the artist's housekeeper and his friend, after Zdzisław refused to lend them money.
Poland is famous for its large number of galleries and contemporary art centers. In almost every city you can find an art hangout that develops contemporary art genres. The Polish School "Rozmovlyai" introduces students and readers of the site to the most prominent Polish artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Alina Shapochnikov (Alina Szapocznikow)
Alina Shapochnikov is a famous Polish sculptor who lived in 1926-1973. In the 60s. in Paris, artificial materials (plastic, polyester) began to be actively used in sculpture, this inspired the artist for creative experiments, in which she succeeded. Alina began to cast her own body in colored synthetic resins, which gave an unusual lighting effect. Quite personal are the cycles of works completed in the last years of her life: Tumerus (1969-1971) and Herbarium (1972), which are casts of her son's body.
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One of the most famous works is the sculpture Portret zwielokrotniony (1967). The work is a bust of a woman, which depicts the faces of four women of different races. The sculpture is a cast of the artist's body - the face is cast in resin, and the bust is in bronze. The colors used in this work give the sculpture a particularly deep meaning and contribute to philosophical reflection.
Miroslav Balka
Born in 1958. Sculptor, author of art actions, installations and videos. He made his debut with sculpture, where art was integrated into a non-artistic situation, creating an art object in the interior of an abandoned house. (Pamiątka I Komunii Św., 1985). In the subsequent period, he created metaphorical sculptures, monuments made of jute, artificial stone and sculptural compositions made of concrete (Zła nowina, 1986; Kominek, 1986, Św. Wojciech, 1987). At the end of the eighties, the language of expression of the sculptor changed - human figures gave way to anthropometric compositions.
The sculptor often uses his own body and studio as a starting point, so his work may include personal or self-referential substances such as ash, felt, hair, and soaps. The materials that Miroslav Balka uses are surprisingly simple - they are ordinary objects and things, but this does not interfere with creative provocation, as the artist actualizes the theme of the past.
Tadeusz Kantor
Tadeusz Kantor is one of the most prominent Polish artists of the 20th century. Artist, illustrator, art theorist, production designer and director, theater reformer, author of famous performances (Umarła klasa, Wielopole, Wielopole, Niech sczezną artyści, Dziś są moje urodziny, Nigdy tu już nie powrócę), happenings, videos, artistic comments , creator of the art community "Grupa Krakowska".
The work of Tadeusz Kantor is considered one of the most interesting phenomena of post-war Europe. From 1933 until the end of his life, Kantor was associated with Krakow. He once wrote: "By my artistic existence, I confirm that I belong to this era, this people, this place. I think about Krakow, to which I belong."
The artist's work influenced such well-known figures of culture and art as Anselm Kiefer, Christian Boltansky, Anthony Tapies, Robert Wilson. The works of Tadeusz Kantor were exhibited in such prestigious places as the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Pitti Palace in Florence, the Casa Mila in Barcelona, the Museum of Fine Arts in Prague.
Tadeusz Kantor died in Krakow, where he always returned from his numerous travels around the world, and was buried at the Rakowice cemetery in his mother's grave.
Jerzy Nowosielski
Jerzy Nowosielski is not only one of the most interesting Polish contemporary artists, illustrator, stage designer, author of many theoretical works on icons and painting, but also an outstanding thinker and Orthodox theologian. Decorating the walls of many temples and churches, Jerzy Nowosielski is one of the very few, if not the only contemporary artist who left behind such monumental works.
The artist was born in a Ukrainian-German family, such biculturalism had a huge impact on his later life, work, national identity and religious views.
Bold spatial imagination allowed the artist to create unique works using Polish folklore. These include decorations (frescoes, stained-glass windows, mosaics) in the temples of the Eastern and Western rites. One of the latest examples of the artist's work is an architectural and decorative ensemble, made in collaboration with the architect Bogdan Kotarba, in the town of Bialy Bur in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship (1992-1997).
Magdalena Abakanowicz
Magdalena Abakanowicz (June 20, 1930 – April 20, 2017) was a Polish sculptor and painter. A feature of her work is the use of textiles in sculpture. She is rightfully considered one of the most famous Polish artists. Magdalena Abakanowicz was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań and was a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1984.
The most notable works of the artist are a series of human figures in which the viewer sees monotonous statues. The works of Magdalena Abakanowicz actualize the theme of loss of identity in the context of a dominant group. The artist hints at the period of the communist regime in Poland. "Art does not solve problems, but helps us to realize their existence," says Magdalena.
This is a brief overview of the work of only a few prominent artists in Poland. Each of them has become an integral part of European culture, which can be discussed in the classroom at the Polish School "Rozmovlyay". Of course, in Polish.
In Polish painting there are many paintings on historical themes, incl. about Russia and Russians. Below is a selection of the most interesting of them. These pictures are worth seeing, friends. They quite clearly reveal the national mentality and the attitude of the Poles towards their past. And to the beloved eastern neighbor, in particular.
Polish artist - artysta malarz. Artist-painter, in short. However, the Poles had many talented craftsmen, far from being painters. For example, Jan Matejko and his "romantic nationalism" of the 19th century, battle painter Wojciech Kossak and others. Some of the paintings are anti-Russian in meaning. But let's not forget that for the last 300 years, in almost all wars, Russians and Poles have been on opposite sides of the barricades.
Jan Matejko. "Station". 1862
1514, another war between Poland and Muscovy. The Russians retook Smolensk and, elated by their first success, invaded Belorussia. But there they were defeated in the battle of Orsha. In the palace of the Polish king - a ball on the occasion of the victory. True, Smolensk, following the results of the war, remains in the hands of Muscovy. Everyone is dancing (in the background), and the court jester by name Stanchik sits and thinks about the future of Poland. Smolensk was given away, so soon we will merge everything.
An interesting detail: the ball is a European entertainment. 1514, and they have a ball. In Russia, the first balls at the court will be in 200 years, under Peter.
Jan Matejko. "Stefan Batory near Pskov". 1872
Jester Stanchik was right. The Muscovites started from Smolensk, then they wanted more. The picture shows the Livonian War, which Ivan the Terrible started to capture the Baltic states. The siege of Pskov by the army of the Polish king Stefan Batory. After several months of siege, the ambassadors of Ivan the Terrible sued for peace: in the picture they crawl on their knees in front of Stefan. There are questions about the plot (in fact, there was no such meeting between Batory and the ambassadors near Pskov), but peace was soon concluded, yes. And really extremely unfortunate for Russia, like the Livonian war itself.
An interesting detail. To the left of Stefan is a man in red, this is Chancellor Jan Zamoyski. Stefan Batory's classmate University of Padua in Italy. In Russia, the first royal person who will go to study in the West will be Peter (for a carpenter, in Holland). By the way, even before Stefan Batory, Nicolaus Copernicus, the first Polish scientist of world renown, went to Padua to study. The Russian analogue of Copernicus (Lomonosov) will appear in 250 years.
Tsar False Dmitry I, portrait by an unknown artist. Beginning 17th century
This painting is also known as "Portrait from the Vyshnevetsky Castle" (the castle of the family of Marina Mnishek - the wife of False Dmitry). During the Time of Troubles, the Poles managed to plant their impostor tsar in the Kremlin. In the picture, Grigory Otrepiev, aka False Dmitry I, is depicted as the Russian Tsar (written in Latin Demetrius IMPERATOR), on the table is a crown and a knight's helmet.
False Dmitry I and his Polish wife is 1605-1606. And here you go: the Polish gentry already learned Latin, built castles and considered themselves part of the European chivalry. Russian nobles will put on European clothes, start learning languages and claim that they are also Europe - in 5-7 generations.
False Dmitry, however, did not sit on the throne for long. He was overthrown as a result of a popular uprising in Moscow. It is interesting to compare the pompous Polish portrait of the impostor with the way in which False Dmitry was depicted in Russian painting of the 19th century.
Carl Wenig. "The Last Minutes of the Life of False Dmitry I". 1879
The artist Karl Bogdanovich Wenig hardly thought that in the 21st century his painting would become an inexhaustible source of parodies of Russia's domestic and foreign policy :)
When False Dmitry I was thrown off, the Poles undertook direct intervention, captured Moscow. They also captured Vasily Shuisky (the tsar who was after False Dmitry) along with his brothers, and all were taken to Warsaw. There, the former king, who had previously fought with the Poles, was forced to publicly swear in the belt to King Sigismund III and kiss his hands.
Jan Matejko. "Tsar Shuisky in the Sejm in Warsaw". 1892
Royal Castle in Warsaw, 1611. Vasily Shuisky bows to Sigismund, touching the ground with his hand. On the left, apparently, his brother Ivan, who (according to Polish sources) generally rolled at his feet and beat his head on the floor. Deputies of the Sejm (Polish parliament) are sitting in the background with a feeling of deep satisfaction. Flags fly, the sun shines bright. Triumph!
This event was called "Hołd Ruski" (Russian oath) in Poland and has a cult character in the circles of Polish nationalists. Below is a creatiff from one of them. Written: "10/29/2011 - 400 years of the Russian oath. Once THEY bowed to us".
In fact, the artist Jan Matejko painted this picture in 1892 to cheer up his compatriots. Like, there were times - and we had our own state, and the king, and the Sejm, and the kings were put on their knees.
It is noteworthy that the king in Poland was not at all the same as the king in Russia. Poland did not know autocracy. It was a republic of the nobility. Seimas chose king and controlled him. Taxes, war, peace - all with the consent of the Sejm. Moreover, if the king behaved undemocratically, the proud gentry had the right to rokosh. He is seething. Those. the right to opposition to the king, both peaceful ("war of the inkwells" and discussion in blogs), and non-peaceful.
Vaclav Pavlishak. "Cossack gift". 1885
The Zaporozhets caught a noble captive and gives him to the gentry, taking off his hat in front of them. No wonder, some of the Cossacks were in the Polish service (for money). They were used as mercenaries in addition to the Polish army. Including repeatedly - in wars against Russia. As for the prisoner, this is apparently a Crimean Tatar. This is, of course, a bummer. The main business of the Crimean Khanate was the slave trade. And then you get captured...
Thanks to the nobility, democracy and freedom in Poland have centuries-old traditions (unlike some other countries). But really, there was one caveat. All liberties were for a narrow circle. They did not touch the peasants. Peasants in Poland from the 15th century were converted to serfdom. And they remained in such a sad state for 300 years. They were called chlopi(claps) and also bydlo(cattle). The word "redneck" then from Poland through Ukraine got into the Russian language.
Joseph Helmonsky. "Issuance of payment (Saturday at the farm)". 1869 G.
Folwark - Polish corvée. Pan forced the Khlops to work for themselves for free or in the form of compulsory hiring (for example, having previously driven them off the ground and left them without funds). In the picture - a farm on the day of pay. A group of peasants in the center received a penny and are horrified - how to feed their children with these pennies? Two claps on the left, on the contrary, are cheerful. Already got drunk.
It is interesting that the pan’s house, with such a rip-off, is still miserable, the roof has completely collapsed. This is a subtle hint of the artist - the gentry was famous for its squandering. They squeezed bread out of farms, drove them abroad, spent money on all sorts of garbage. War, drinking and show-off - that was the mentality of the gentry. Dear carriage, a sable coat with gold buttons, and dance to the ball, polonaise :)
Alexander Kotsis. "In the tavern". OK. 1870
While the gentry danced at the balls, the clap had only to go to the tavern (tavern). It was a popular business. For example, the great-grandfather of V.I. Lenin Moshe Blank from the town of Starokonstantinov in Volyn was a Shinkar. In 1795, according to the third partition of Poland, Volyn together with Moshe Blank and his tavern went to Russia.
However, in the triad "war, booze and show-off" among the Polish elite back in the 17th century. there were problems with the war. No, Poles have never been cowards in war. The problem was organization. War is the convening of a general militia of the gentry ( commonwealth collapse), and this is through the Diet. And the money for the war is also the Diet. Such decisions were not easy to carry out, which weakened the combat capability of Poland. When in 1648 the whole of Ukraine was engulfed by the Khmelnytsky uprising, the Poles were initially able to put up a modest army of only 40 thousand people. She was followed by a convoy of 100,000 wagons with junk and 5,000 women of easy virtue. We went to war as if we were going to a wedding. And they were utterly defeated by the Cossacks.
The decline of Poland began with the Khmelnytsky uprising. Neighbors began to bite off a piece of it here and there. And in the end, at the end of the 18th century, they completely divided it. Moreover, the Sejm was bribed and he himself voted for it!
Jan Matejko. "Reitan - the decline of Poland". 1866
The Sejm in 1773 decides to agree with the division of Poland. The gentry Tadeusz Reitan, the last patriot of Poland, is desperately trying to prevent this: to go to bed at the exit, preventing the deputies from dispersing after the meeting. Many deputies are ashamed, they have just sold their country. On the wall is a portrait of Catherine II (their sponsor), behind the door are Russian grenadiers, upstairs in a box is the Russian ambassador Repnin with two ladies. This is really the decline of Poland!
The Polish people, of course, did not accept the decline of Poland. There were several major uprisings, suppressed by the powers - participants in the partition. 100,000 Poles-volunteers participated in the campaign of Napoleon's "Great Army" against Moscow in 1812, hoping to gain independence.
Wojciech Kossak. "Hussar of the Great Army". 1907
In the picture - a Pole from Napoleon's army. The artist himself served as a lancer in the army, so he painted the cavalry with skill.
More Wojciech Kossak. "Spring 1813". 1903
The snow has melted ... And there are the remnants of the brave cavalrymen.
Another interesting fact: the Poles fought for Napoleon not only in Russia, but also in Spain, they crushed the guerrilla (Spanish resistance to the French). To earn independence for themselves, the Poles deprived the Spaniards of it.
January Sukhodolsky. Storming the walls of Zaragoza. 1845
In 1808, Zaragoza rebelled against the French invaders. She was besieged for 9 months. Everyone fought, women, children. 50 thousand people died .
In the picture - the Poles break into the city.
January Sukhodolsky. "Battle of San Domingo". 1845
This is not Spain. This is Napoleon's punitive expedition to the island of Haiti (then - the colony of Saint-Domingo). There, local Negroes rebelled against the French, and the Poles came along with the French to pacify the Negroes.
Wojciech Kossak. "November night". 1898
This is an anti-Russian uprising of 1830-31. It began in November 1830 with an attack by rebels on the Belvedere Palace in Warsaw (the residence of the governor of Poland). The picture shows a battle between the rebels and Russian cuirassiers on the night of November 29-30, 1830.
The rebels took the palace, but the governor fled. The uprising was suppressed in 1831 by the troops of Field Marshal Ivan Paskevich, who received the title "Prince Ivan of Warsaw" for this. Paskevich was, perhaps, the first Ukrainian in the Russian army who rose to the rank of marshal.
Wojciech Kossak. "Emilia Plater in the battle of Siauliai". 1904
This is again the uprising of 1830-31. In the center of the picture is Countess Emilia Plater, something like the Polish Joan of Arc. The countess commanded a detachment of rebels, personally participated in the battles. During one of the campaigns, she fell ill and died at the age of 25. A legendary figure in Poland (as well as among Belarusian nationalists).
Wojciech Kossak. "Circassians in Krakow Suburb". 1912
This is the anti-Russian uprising of 1863. It is also called the January Uprising. Krakow Suburb is an avenue in Warsaw. Russian troops break into the city. The artist depicted the latter in the form of a horde of Circassians rushing through the city with an Orthodox banner. True, the Circassians are Muslims, but that doesn't matter. Circassians are shooting into the air with all types of weapons, waving whips, passers-by scatter.
A powerful thing ... By the way, the original picture was called "Dagestan wedding on Tverskaya" (just kidding).
"The Russian army plunders the Polish estate during the January Uprising". Unknown Polish artist of the 19th century
The author tried to portray Russian soldiers and officers as repulsively as possible. A horde of savages is rampaging in a cultured European home, a child has been thrown out of a carriage, paintings are stabbed with bayonets.
Arthur Grotger. "Road to Siberia". 1867
Participants in the uprising of 1863 are driven to Siberia.
Alexander Sokhachevsky. "Farewell to Europe". 1894
Polish rebels in 1863 on their way to Siberia. We reached the obelisk on the border of Europe and Asia. The artist himself was a participant in the uprising, received 20 years of hard labor (he is somewhere here in the picture, by the way, near the obelisk).
One of the strong pieces.
Alexander Sokhachevsky. "Pani Gudzinskaya". 1894
This is a real character, a participant in the uprising, who was exiled to the salt works near Irkutsk (like the author of the picture). She left behind her husband and 2 children in Warsaw. She worked as a laundress at the saltworks, washed all day in the hole in the Angara. She died in hard labor in 1866.
Jacek Malczewski. "Death on stage". 1891
More horrors of the tsarist gulag.
Jacek Marcielski. "Vigilia in Siberia". 1892
Vigilia is a night vigil for Catholics before Easter or Christmas. Polish exiles in Siberia are faithful to their native Catholic faith. By the way, the exiles at the table look quite decent - well-fed, in suits, white shirts.
Stanislav Maslovsky. "Spring of 1905." 1906
This is the revolution of 1905-1907. It covered Poland too. In the picture, the Cossacks, who performed the role of the tsarist OMON, are leading the arrested person. The contrast of the convoy and the prisoner: four foreheads on horseback lead one little man.
Wojciech Kossak. "Pogrom". 1907
The revolution of 1905 was accompanied by a wave of Jewish pogroms, incl. in Poland. In the picture - a Russian Cossack in uniform and with weapons against the backdrop of a pogrom. Houses are burning, corpses lie on the pavement. However, the Cossack in this case is NOT a representative of the forces of law and order. He himself is a pogromist. This is exactly what the artist Wojciech Kossak wanted to say. Here, they say, it is the Russian army: bandits and murderers.
Soldiers and the tsarist police were indeed participants in a number of pogroms, for example, in Bialystok (1906). However, there were enough rioters among the local population. It's just that they didn't make it to Kossak's painting... And the 1905 revolution never brought freedom to Poland. I had to wait until 1918.
Wojciech Kossak. "Ulan escorts Russian prisoners." 1916
This is the first world war. On horseback - a volunteer from the so-called. Polish legion of the Austrian army. Approximately 25 thousand Polish nationalists went to the service of the Austrians and fought on their side on the Eastern Front. These legionnaires later formed the backbone of the officer corps of independent Poland.
In November 1918, after the surrender of Germany and Austria, Poland's independence was finally restored. And immediately began a series of wars for borders in the East. First, the Polish-Ukrainian war of 1918-19, in which the Poles utterly defeated the Ukrainian nationalists. Then the Soviet-Polish war of 1920, in which the Poles defeated the Red Army too. The war was with varying success, and the turning point came when Tukhachevsky's troops had already reached Warsaw ("Miracle on the Vistula"). This war, which in Poland is called Polish-Bolshevik, left a significant mark on local art.
Wojciech Kossak. "Soviet enemy".
Again a horde of savages, one with a bottle instead of a saber. Pay attention to the figure of the killed civilian on the left (over which the girl is crying). The figure is one to one from the painting "Pogrom".
Jerzy Kossak. "The Miracle on the Vistula on September 15, 1920". 1930
Jerzy Kossak is the son of Wojciech Kossak. The picture is dedicated to the counter-offensive of the Polish army near Warsaw in August 1920. The Soviet troops were surrounded, the Polish capital was saved. In the picture - an unstoppable attack of the Poles, supported from the air by aviation and Jesus Christ.
Jerzy Kossak. "The pursuit of the fleeing commissar". 1934
A commissar in a red shirt is ticking away from the Polish lancers.
The revived Poland (the Second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as it is called) lasted only 21 years. It all ended in 1939.
Jerzy Kossak. "Battle of Kutno". 1939
With checkers on tanks: lancers against the Wehrmacht. This is from the "one rifle for five" series, the Polish version. Tanks of an incomprehensible model, hatches on the side, where cavalrymen throw lances ...
Jerzy Kossak. "Battle of Kutno". 1943
Separate incomprehensible moments in the first version of the picture forced the artist to rewrite it a few years later.
After 1945, Poland enters the Soviet bloc and socialist realism begins there. Roughly like this:
Julius Studnitsky. "Stakhanovka Gertrude Vysotskaya". 1950
The box on the left says Centrala rybna. Glavryba!
It wasn't all fun, though.
Felix Kai-Krzhevinsky. "Polish prisoners on the way to Siberia". 1940
Felix Kai-Krzhevinsky. "Hungry steppe. Kazakhstan". 1945
Deported Poles in Central Asia. The painting is supposedly the artist's sister Elisabeth Krzhevinskaya.
Jerzy Zelinski. "Smile, or 30 years, or ha-ha-ha", 1974
Famous painting in pop art style. The sewn lips symbolize censorship and the communist dictatorship in what was then Poland. At the same time, three crosses are 30 Roman numerals, just in 1974 it was thirty years since the arrival of the Soviet army in Poland (1944), which also brought new power. And finally, if you read in Russian, it's simple: ha ha ha :)
In the eighteenth-nineteenth centuries, religious painting was very popular in Poland, which completely imitated church art, the representative of this style is the artist Eugeniusz Mucha. But later, the type of such painting practically disappeared after printed reproductions began to spread. In ancient times, folk artists who were engaged in drawing images, the so-called “obraznik”, mainly painted with oil paints, as well as glue paints. The artists painted their magnificent paintings on boards, paper, and also on canvas. Also in ancient times, painting on glass was common. The type of such painting was especially popular in Silesia, in the Podhale region, in the Lublin region, as well as among the Kashubians and Masurians. From the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, engraving on wooden boards, in a religious style, was very common, in our time it refers to the disappearing museum art.
Painting by Jan Matejko
In the nineteenth century, Romantic poetry undoubtedly influenced the development of Polish painting. The main problem for Polish artists of that time was freedom, they fought for independence in terms of creativity, as well as for the sovereignty of art.
You can get acquainted with the work of Polish artists in various museums and galleries in Krakow, Warsaw and many other cities. For example, Jan Matejko, born in 1838, is a famous Polish artist. The master worked mainly on paintings related to historical events. In Krakow, there is the Franciscan Church, inside which there is Art Nouveau decoration, the author of which is a student of Jan Matejko, artist Stanislav Wyspiański, born in 1869.
In the city of Lodz there is a wonderful museum collection dedicated to the art of Polish constructivists. A very important and enduring style in painting is colorism, a Polish form of post-impressionism. Then there was a creative community called the "Paris Committee" and the artists who were in it, pilgrimages to the city, which was located above the Seine. The purpose of their pilgrimage was to seek inspiration and light. And after these artists returned, they acted as apostles of "good painting." The main point for them was the harmony of colors, the brightness of color, the expressiveness of the brushstroke, as well as the beauty of the canvases.
Folk painting in Poland can be seen on various household items, as well as utensils. In many regions of the country, one can observe painting on cupboards, cabinets, and shelves; large chests, in which dowry was kept, were also often painted. Basically, vases with flowers, as well as individual bouquets, were painted on such hides.
The Poles have been painting chicken eggs since ancient times, this custom has remained to this day.
Notable artists
Wojciech Gerson, a famous Polish artist born in 1831, he studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In the city of Warsaw, in the National Museum, there is his best work, written in 1894 under the title "Cemetery in Zakopane".
This man was not only an outstanding artist, he also taught other people who eventually became masters of their craft. Also, the two brothers Gerymsky and Helmonsky were popular realist artists. Maximilian Gerymsky, born in 1846, studied in Warsaw and also in Munich, he introduced the motifs of the urban poor into Polish everyday painting. The Warsaw Museum houses his most famous work, written in 1868 under the title Burial of a Citizen.
Alexander Gerymsky, born in 1850, created a large work in the style of critical realism. Again, in the Warsaw Museum there is his most famous work, created in 1887 under the title "On the Sand Quarry", as well as an equally remarkable picture written about the difficult fate of the peasant in 1895 under the title "Peasant's Coffin".
In Polish painting there are many paintings on historical themes, incl. about Russia and Russians. Below is a selection of the most interesting of them. These pictures are worth seeing, friends. They quite clearly reveal the national mentality and the attitude of the Poles towards their past. And to the beloved eastern neighbor, in particular.
Polish artist - artysta malarz. Artist-painter, in short. However, the Poles had many talented craftsmen, far from being painters. For example, Jan Matejko and his "romantic nationalism" of the 19th century, battle painter Wojciech Kossak and others. Some of the paintings are anti-Russian in meaning. But let's not forget that for the last 300 years, in almost all wars, Russians and Poles have been on opposite sides of the barricades.
To understand well everything that the artists reflected in the paintings, you need to learn one thing, the most important thing: there was no Poland and Russia. There was one state on the whole planet in which there was a great war between the troops of the Government of this State (White Guard, White Delo, White Order) and the rebellious Cossacks who were in the service of this Government. That is, subsequently the Red Army, which replenished its troops from who knows where the Negro slaves came from..
01.
Jan Matejko. "Station". 1862
1514, another war between Poland and Muscovy. The Russians retook Smolensk and, elated by their first success, invaded Belorussia. But there they were defeated in the battle of Orsha. In the palace of the Polish king - a ball on the occasion of the victory. True, Smolensk, following the results of the war, remains in the hands of Muscovy. Everyone is dancing (in the background), and the court jester by name Stanchik sits and thinks about the future of Poland. Smolensk was given away, so soon we will merge everything.
An important point. The war begins in 1853. Therefore, all the events presented in the pictures are automatically transferred to the second half of the 19th or the beginning of the 20th century.
And fictional characters and chronology are returned free of charge to those who composed it all. For memory
.
An interesting detail: the ball is a European entertainment. 1514, and they have a ball. In Russia, the first balls at the court will be in 200 years, under Peter.
The detail about the ball is really interesting .. Firstly, the Polish gentry is the White Guard. Government Troops. Legal. They have a riot in the Army. I doubt that in such circumstances they will be up to the balls. At least in the form of unbridled fun, as we are presented. So it's more likely that we're talking about the Reds. Here they loved balls and dressing up just maniacally. I can't say who is in the picture. But I would not be surprised if the artist depicted the leader of the rebels, Elston. It certainly didn’t matter to the balls, and a person insignificant for the plot of the picture would hardly be of interest to anyone ..
02.
Jan Matejko. "Stefan Batory near Pskov". 1872
Jester Stanchik was right. The Muscovites started from Smolensk, then they wanted more. The picture shows the Livonian War, which Ivan the Terrible started to capture the Baltic states. The siege of Pskov by the army of the Polish king Stefan Batory. After several months of siege, the ambassadors of Ivan the Terrible sued for peace: in the picture they crawl on their knees in front of Stefan. There are questions about the plot (in fact, there was no such meeting between Batory and the ambassadors near Pskov), but peace was soon concluded, yes. And really extremely unfortunate for Russia, like the Livonian war itself.
An interesting detail. To the left of Stefan is a man in red, this is Chancellor Jan Zamoyski. Stefan Batory's classmate University of Padua in Italy. In Russia, the first royal person who will go to study in the West will be Peter (for a carpenter, in Holland). By the way, even before Stefan Batory, Nicolaus Copernicus, the first Polish scientist of world renown, went to Padua to study. The Russian analogue of Copernicus (Lomonosov) will appear in 250 years.
Let's forget about Ivan the Terrible and Peter 1 once and for all .. there were none like that. At all. Better about what's going on in the picture. As I see it. The picture shows the defeated traitors. What kind of clowns are beating their foreheads on the ground, I won’t say, apparently, someone is very sorry for their skins, they think to save it. More interesting figures of warriors. On the right, a man in arms standing with a downcast look (there is also an interesting Cossack face nearby), and a figure in black. By the way, I have a feeling that this character was covered in black. This spot is too knocked out of the whole picture, the contours are drawn clumsily. With hands, it's not clear at all. And the figure in the picture is important. I would say key. It is on this man that the views and attention of all the other characters are directed. Someone is trying to look at him with interest because of those standing closer, two Cossacks are whispering caustically, another one deliberately turned away, the winged warrior standing behind him has contempt on his face. (By the way, to note that winged angels and warriors are not symbolism and allegory. Wings are military ammunition, we just have no idea how it worked and in what cases it was used. Before us is a whole winged army on a historical canvas. The author wrote that , which he knew well, being a participant in those military events). Look further. The Cossack next to the man in black has a flurry of emotions on his face. It seems that, contrary to the Charter and Discipline, he will now attack the traitor. In general, the whole view says one thing: "Hold me, guys! I'm not responsible for myself." The older Cossack has pain and reproach on his face a little behind .. In general, take a good look at everyone yourself. Almost every character is concentrated by the artist on this particular man in black. Even the fact that Stefan and Jan Zamoyski (the names are very arbitrary) deliberately avoid looking directly at this man in black, once again emphasizes that everything that happens in the picture is focused on this particular character. Stefan is allegedly looking at the man's companion, although the look is rather absent. With Jan Zamoyski it's interesting at all. First, he is a figure in the foreground and separated from the rest. important. Secondly, his outward resemblance to a man in black is striking. Traitor brother? Judging by the left hand, convulsively clinging to something, and looking into "nowhere", this Yang is more than indifferent to what is happening, but tries to restrain himself. In general, I will not continue to increase the amount of text with my conjectures, I will pay attention to only one more detail. What is returned to Stefan on the golden tray? Agree that for the "gifts" from the "peace seekers" it looks rather miserable. But if this is an important item that was seized and is now returned, then everything looks quite real. I wonder what it is?...
03.
Tsar False Dmitry I, portrait by an unknown artist. Beginning 17th century
This painting is also known as "Portrait from the Vyshnevetsky Castle" (the castle of the family of Marina Mnishek - the wife of False Dmitry). During the Time of Troubles, the Poles managed to plant their impostor tsar in the Kremlin. In the picture, Grigory Otrepiev, aka False Dmitry I, is depicted as the Russian Tsar (written in Latin Demetrius IMPERATOR), on the table is a crown and a knight's helmet.
False Dmitry I and his Polish wife is 1605-1606. And here you go: the Polish gentry already learned Latin, built castles and considered themselves part of the European chivalry. Russian nobles will put on European clothes, start learning languages and claim that they are also Europe - in 5-7 generations.
False Dmitry, however, did not sit on the throne for long. He was overthrown as a result of a popular uprising in Moscow. It is interesting to compare the pompous Polish portrait of the impostor with the way in which False Dmitry was depicted in Russian painting of the 19th century.
04.
Carl Wenig. "The Last Minutes of the Life of False Dmitry I". 1879
Here I have nothing special to say, except that the hero of the picture very much reminded Felix Yusupov Jr. ..
The artist Karl Bogdanovich Wenig hardly thought that in the 21st century his painting would become an inexhaustible source of parodies of Russia's domestic and foreign policy :)
When False Dmitry I was thrown off, the Poles undertook direct intervention, captured Moscow. They also captured Vasily Shuisky (the tsar who was after False Dmitry) along with his brothers, and all were taken to Warsaw. There, the former king, who had previously fought with the Poles, was forced to publicly swear in the belt to King Sigismund III and kiss his hands.
05.
Jan Matejko. "Tsar Shuisky in the Sejm in Warsaw". 1892
Royal Castle in Warsaw, 1611. Vasily Shuisky bows to Sigismund, touching the ground with his hand. On the left, apparently, his brother Ivan, who (according to Polish sources) generally rolled at his feet and beat his head on the floor. Deputies of the Sejm (Polish parliament) are sitting in the background with a feeling of deep satisfaction. Flags fly, the sun shines bright. Triumph!
Here, in my opinion, the events echo the painting "Stefan Batory near Pskov". Consider carefully .
This event was called "Hołd Ruski" (Russian oath) in Poland and has a cult character in the circles of Polish nationalists. Below is a creatiff from one of them. Written: "10/29/2011 - 400 years of the Russian oath. Once THEY bowed to us".
In fact, the artist Jan Matejko painted this picture in 1892 to cheer up his compatriots. Like, there were times - and we had our own state, and the king, and the Sejm, and the kings were put on their knees.
It is noteworthy that the king in Poland was not at all the same as the king in Russia. Poland did not know autocracy. It was a republic of the nobility. Seimas chose king and controlled him. Taxes, war, peace - all with the consent of the Sejm. Moreover, if the king behaved undemocratically, the proud gentry had the right to rokosh. He is seething. Those. the right to opposition to the king, both peaceful ("war of the inkwells" and discussion in blogs), and non-peaceful.
06.
Vaclav Pavlishak. "Cossack gift". 1885
The Zaporozhets caught a noble captive and gives him to the gentry, taking off his hat in front of them. No wonder, some of the Cossacks were in the Polish service (for money). They were used as mercenaries in addition to the Polish army. Including repeatedly - in wars against Russia. As for the prisoner, this is apparently a Crimean Tatar. This is, of course, a bummer. The main business of the Crimean Khanate was the slave trade. And then you get captured...
Thanks to the nobility, democracy and freedom in Poland have centuries-old traditions (unlike some other countries). But really, there was one caveat. All liberties were for a narrow circle. They did not touch the peasants. Peasants in Poland from the 15th century were converted to serfdom. And they remained in such a sad state for 300 years. They were called chlopi(claps) and also bydlo(cattle). The word "redneck" then from Poland through Ukraine got into the Russian language.
07.
Joseph Helmonsky. "Issuance of payment (Saturday at the farm)". 1869 G.
Folwark - Polish corvée. Pan forced the Khlops to work for themselves for free or in the form of compulsory hiring (for example, having previously driven them off the ground and left them without funds). In the picture - a farm on the day of pay. A group of peasants in the center received a penny and are horrified - how to feed their children with these pennies? Two claps on the left, on the contrary, are cheerful. Already got drunk.
It is interesting that the pan’s house, with such a rip-off, is still miserable, the roof has completely collapsed. This is a subtle hint of the artist - the gentry was famous for its squandering. They squeezed bread out of farms, drove them abroad, spent money on all sorts of garbage. War, drinking and show-off - that was the mentality of the gentry. Dear carriage, a sable coat with gold buttons, and dance to the ball, polonaise :)
08.
Alexander Kotsis. "In the tavern". OK. 1870
While the gentry danced at the balls, the clap had only to go to the tavern (tavern). It was a popular business. For example, the great-grandfather of V.I. Lenin Moshe Blank from the town of Starokonstantinov in Volyn was a Shinkar. In 1795, according to the third partition of Poland, Volyn together with Moshe Blank and his tavern went to Russia.
However, in the triad "war, booze and show-off" among the Polish elite back in the 17th century. there were problems with the war. No, Poles have never been cowards in war. The problem was organization. War is the convening of a general militia of the gentry ( commonwealth collapse), and this is through the Diet. And the money for the war is also the Diet. Such decisions were not easy to carry out, which weakened the combat capability of Poland. When in 1648 the whole of Ukraine was engulfed by the Khmelnytsky uprising, the Poles were initially able to put up a modest army of only 40 thousand people. She was followed by a convoy of 100,000 wagons with junk and 5,000 women of easy virtue. We went to war as if we were going to a wedding. And they were utterly defeated by the Cossacks.
The decline of Poland began with the Khmelnytsky uprising. Neighbors began to bite off a piece of it here and there. And in the end, at the end of the 18th century, they completely divided it. Moreover, the Sejm was bribed and he himself voted for it!
09.
Jan Matejko. "Reitan - the decline of Poland". 1866
The Sejm in 1773 decides to agree with the division of Poland. The gentry Tadeusz Reitan, the last patriot of Poland, is desperately trying to prevent this: to go to bed at the exit, preventing the deputies from dispersing after the meeting. Many deputies are ashamed, they have just sold their country. On the wall is a portrait of Catherine II (their sponsor), behind the door are Russian grenadiers, upstairs in a box is the Russian ambassador Repnin with two ladies. This is really the decline of Poland!
An interesting picture. What is really going on here?
The Polish people, of course, did not accept the decline of Poland. There were several major uprisings, suppressed by the powers - participants in the partition. 100,000 Poles-volunteers participated in the campaign of Napoleon's "Great Army" against Moscow in 1812, hoping to gain independence.
10.
Wojciech Kossak. "Hussar of the Great Army". 1907
In the picture - a Pole from Napoleon's army. The artist himself served as a lancer in the army, so he painted the cavalry with skill.
We have Napoleons from the company of Grozny, Peter and Catherine. Forgot. Before us are the troops of the Government. About "drawing with knowledge of the matter" I completely agree. .
11.
More Wojciech Kossak. "Spring 1813". 1903
The snow has melted ... And there are the remnants of the brave cavalrymen.
Kossak conveyed reality. 100%. Look at the corpses. On the right, not just legs stick out, but black legs. There were more than enough blacks in the troops of Elston-Sumarokov. And to write off the fact that these are just blackened corpses will not work. In the left corner of the legs of another corpse. And they are white. From one battle they lay under one snow.
Another interesting fact: the Poles fought for Napoleon not only in Russia, but also in Spain, they crushed the guerrilla (Spanish resistance to the French). To earn independence for themselves, the Poles deprived the Spaniards of it.
12.
January Sukhodolsky. Storming the walls of Zaragoza. 1845
In 1808, Zaragoza rebelled against the French invaders. She was besieged for 9 months. Everyone fought, women, children. 50 thousand people died .
In the picture - the Poles break into the city.
Let's tweak a little: the invaders are the Elston bandits-invaders. Indeed, everyone fought against them. Both women and children.
13.
January Sukhodolsky. "Battle of San Domingo". 1845
This is not Spain. This is Napoleon's punitive expedition to the island of Haiti (then - the colony of Saint-Domingo). There, local Negroes rebelled against the French, and the Poles came along with the French to pacify the Negroes.
Again, everything is the same: the troops of the White Government and the Elston Negro cutthroats. And here in the literal sense. The "local rebel Haitians" got a funny uniform)
14.
Wojciech Kossak. "November night". 1898
This is an anti-Russian uprising of 1830-31. It began in November 1830 with an attack by rebels on the Belvedere Palace in Warsaw (the residence of the governor of Poland). The picture shows a battle between the rebels and Russian cuirassiers on the night of November 29-30, 1830.
Everything is as it is. Rebels capture one of the residences of the White Government .
The rebels took the palace, but the governor fled. The uprising was suppressed in 1831 by the troops of Field Marshal Ivan Paskevich, who received the title "Prince Ivan of Warsaw" for this. Paskevich was, perhaps, the first Ukrainian in the Russian army who rose to the rank of marshal.
15.
Wojciech Kossak. "Emilia Plater in the battle of Siauliai". 1904
This is again the uprising of 1830-31. In the center of the picture is Countess Emilia Plater, something like the Polish Joan of Arc. The countess commanded a detachment of rebels, personally participated in the battles. During one of the campaigns, she fell ill and died at the age of 25. A legendary figure in Poland (as well as among Belarusian nationalists).
A very interesting girl. From an ancient knightly aristocratic family. Even taking into account the early death, she did so much to liberate the Motherland from the invaders that to this day there are legends about her, and Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia claim to belong to this woman to their land. And no one lies or makes mistakes. Because there were no separate such states at that time and even in plans. Everyone defended one great Motherland, including women.
16.
Wojciech Kossak. "Circassians in Krakow Suburb". 1912
This is the anti-Russian uprising of 1863. It is also called the January Uprising. Krakow Suburb is an avenue in Warsaw. Russian troops break into the city. The artist depicted the latter in the form of a horde of Circassians rushing through the city with an Orthodox banner. True, the Circassians are Muslims, but that doesn't matter. Circassians are shooting into the air with all types of weapons, waving whips, passers-by scatter.
A powerful thing ... By the way, the original picture was called "Dagestan wedding on Tverskaya" (just kidding).
The artist portrayed very well who the rebels were and what they were like in action. Cossacks. I would not talk about Orthodoxy and Islam in relation to the Cossacks of that time. They had no religion in our understanding. Their obsession is indicative. A child lying on the pavement, on which hooves are about to be walked, speaks volumes.
17.
"The Russian army plunders the Polish estate during the January Uprising". Unknown Polish artist of the 19th century
The author tried to portray Russian soldiers and officers as repulsively as possible. A horde of savages is rampaging in a cultured European home, a child has been thrown out of a carriage, paintings are stabbed with bayonets.
A very vivid example of what the Elstonian troops were doing. With the caveat that they just broke into the house and all the horror is yet to come..
18.
Arthur Grotger. "Road to Siberia". 1867
Participants in the uprising of 1863 are driven to Siberia.
19.
Alexander Sokhachevsky. "Farewell to Europe". 1894
Polish rebels in 1863 on their way to Siberia. We reached the obelisk on the border of Europe and Asia. The artist himself was a participant in the uprising, received 20 years of hard labor (he is somewhere here in the picture, by the way, near the obelisk).
One of the strong pieces.
20.
Alexander Sokhachevsky. "Pani Gudzinskaya". 1894
This is a real character, a participant in the uprising, who was exiled to the salt works near Irkutsk (like the author of the picture). She left behind her husband and 2 children in Warsaw. She worked as a laundress at the saltworks, washed all day in the hole in the Angara. She died in hard labor in 1866.
21.
Jacek Malczewski. "Death on stage". 1891
More horrors of the tsarist gulag.
22.
Jacek Marcielski. "Vigilia in Siberia". 1892
Vigilia is a night vigil for Catholics before Easter or Christmas. Polish exiles in Siberia are faithful to their native Catholic faith. By the way, the exiles at the table look quite decent - well-fed, in suits, white shirts.
23.
Stanislav Maslovsky. "Spring of 1905." 1906
This is the revolution of 1905-1907. It covered Poland too. In the picture, the Cossacks, who performed the role of the tsarist OMON, are leading the arrested person. The contrast of the convoy and the prisoner: four foreheads on horseback lead one little man.
24.
Wojciech Kossak. "Pogrom". 1907
The revolution of 1905 was accompanied by a wave of Jewish pogroms, incl. in Poland. In the picture - a Russian Cossack in uniform and with weapons against the backdrop of a pogrom. Houses are burning, corpses lie on the pavement. However, the Cossack in this case is NOT a representative of the forces of law and order. He himself is a pogromist. This is exactly what the artist Wojciech Kossak wanted to say. Here, they say, it is the Russian army: bandits and murderers.
Soldiers and the tsarist police were indeed participants in a number of pogroms, for example, in Bialystok (1906). However, there were enough rioters among the local population. It's just that they didn't make it to Kossak's painting... And the 1905 revolution never brought freedom to Poland. I had to wait until 1918.
Everything is so, only Pogroms throughout the land were not Jewish. They killed and robbed White People. All the same rebel Cossacks with their horde of blacks-slave .
25.
Wojciech Kossak. "Ulan escorts Russian prisoners." 1916
This is the first world war. On horseback - a volunteer from the so-called. Polish legion of the Austrian army. Approximately 25 thousand Polish nationalists went to the service of the Austrians and fought on their side on the Eastern Front. These legionnaires later formed the backbone of the officer corps of independent Poland.
Note for ourselves that one leads three prisoners! Remember the picture above with another escort, when there are several escorts for one prisoner. So the difference in the qualitative composition of both armies is obvious. White and Red. By the way, the face of the first of the captives in the picture is just scary .
In November 1918, after the surrender of Germany and Austria, Poland's independence was finally restored. And immediately began a series of wars for borders in the East. First, the Polish-Ukrainian war of 1918-19, in which the Poles utterly defeated the Ukrainian nationalists. Then the Soviet-Polish war of 1920, in which the Poles defeated the Red Army too. The war was with varying success, and the turning point came when Tukhachevsky's troops had already reached Warsaw ("Miracle on the Vistula"). This war, which in Poland is called Polish-Bolshevik, left a significant mark on local art.
26.
Wojciech Kossak. "Soviet enemy".
Again a horde of savages, one with a bottle instead of a saber. Pay attention to the figure of the killed civilian on the left (over which the girl is crying). The figure is one to one from the painting "Pogrom".
Just without words. The Red Soviet Army as it is.
27.
Jerzy Kossak. "The Miracle on the Vistula on September 15, 1920". 1930
Jerzy Kossak is the son of Wojciech Kossak. The picture is dedicated to the counter-offensive of the Polish army near Warsaw in August 1920. The Soviet troops were surrounded, the Polish capital was saved. In the picture - an unstoppable attack of the Poles, supported from the air by aviation and Jesus Christ.
This picture is simply something stunning in its informativeness. And it's already the 20th century. Even taking into account the fact that it was "ruled" and blurred what people are not supposed to see, a lot is visible! Let's start with the fact that there is no Christ anywhere near here. Neither real nor symbolic. A warrior girl is depicted in the sky above the advancing troops. The same one that now stands on the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg. The leader of the angelic host, whose appearance did not bode well for the enemy. Look closely by enlarging the image. There were no planes there. Remember the winged troops from the picture of Stephen and combine both pictures within the same military-historical events. What weapons, vehicles and other gadgets, as we now call it, were used, one can only guess.
This painting has also been redone. We compare options.
28.
Jerzy Kossak. "The pursuit of the fleeing commissar". 1934
A commissar in a red shirt is ticking away from the Polish lancers.
The revived Poland (the Second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as it is called) lasted only 21 years. It all ended in 1939.
29.
Jerzy Kossak. "Battle of Kutno". 1939
With checkers on tanks: lancers against the Wehrmacht. This is from the "one rifle for five" series, the Polish version. Tanks of an incomprehensible model, hatches on the side, where cavalrymen throw lances ...
Very interesting job. What amazing, previously unseen tanks are a separate conversation and more for men who understand these things. I was interested in the fact that these tanks are attacking light warriors .. and a very interesting approaching squad from the right. Are the wings again looming on the heads of the horsemen? And what is characteristic, the warriors have already got out of the tank closest to them and in every possible way demonstrate further non-resistance.
30.
Jerzy Kossak. "Battle of Kutno". 1943
Separate incomprehensible moments in the first version of the picture forced the artist to rewrite it a few years later.
In my opinion, this picture does not belong to Jerzy Kossak! First, there is no signature, unlike all of his works. Secondly, it is unlikely that the artist will remake his creation to please those who do not understand something. This is the latest "politically correct" alteration. There were enough people in the Union of Artists. Someone had to work.
After 1945, Poland enters the Soviet bloc and socialist realism begins there. Roughly like this:
31.
Julius Studnitsky. "Stakhanovka Gertrude Vysotskaya". 1950
The box on the left says Centrala rybna. Glavryba!
It wasn't all fun, though.
32.
Felix Kai-Krzhevinsky. "Polish prisoners on the way to Siberia". 1940
33.
Felix Kai-Krzhevinsky. "Hungry steppe. Kazakhstan". 1945
Deported Poles in Central Asia. The painting is supposedly the artist's sister Elisabeth Krzhevinskaya.
34.
Jerzy Zelinski. "Smile, or 30 years, or ha-ha-ha", 1974
Famous painting in pop art style. The sewn lips symbolize censorship and the communist dictatorship in what was then Poland. At the same time, three crosses are 30 Roman numerals, just in 1974 it was thirty years since the arrival of the Soviet army in Poland (1944), which also brought new power. And finally, if you read in Russian, it's simple: ha ha ha :)
Original taken from uglich_jj in History of Russia in the paintings of Polish artists...
Let's hope these photos aren't fake. .
