Stanislaw Wyspianski's status here is comparable to that of one of Italy's Renaissance giants. Certainly, the breadth of the eccentric Pole's talents rivals that of many of the Italian greats. Painter, playwright, stage designer, stained glass maestro, he even found time to design a grandiose project for the revival of the Wawel Royal Castle. He died young, yet left a bounteous legacy. Huge sums of money were spent on re-locating the museum to this former palace. There may not be anything original in the actual staging of the material, but the building has been beautifully renovated and the exhibits offer a rich insight into the world of a genuine genius. Not everything that Wyspianski touched turned to gold and he was certainly no Chippendale of his day, but the pastel portraits and stained glass designs reveal a startlingly original talent that has yet to be discovered in the West.
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