Museum Bags Double Delight
The National Museum in Cracow has hit the jackpot this week with the acquisition of two portraits by the king of Polish 20th Century art, 'Witkacy' (Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz).
The two portaits come from the private collection of 90 year old Mrs Danuta Wojcicka, who has lived in London since the war. It is Mrs Wojcicka's mother, Gabriela Czarniecka-Berezowska who is the subject of the two paintings.
The works make an interesting pair as they were executed at completely different periods in the artist's development. The first is a relatively conventional oil painting completed in 1912, whilst the latter belongs to the wildly experimental mature style (is mature the right word when it comes to the mischievous Witkacy?!) finished in 1936.
Witkacy's electrifying, expressionistic pastel portraits, which were often executed under the influence of narcotics, are amongst the most orioginal and inspirational works in Polish art. A legendary figure who excelled in painting, photography, play-writing and philosophy, Witkacy committed suicide in September 1939 following the double invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
The two portraits will eventually be exhibited in the museum's soon to be re-opened Gallery of 20th Century art at ul. 3 Maja. The museum's directors are promising that the gallery will open in the Autumn, following a protracted renovation of the exhibition space.