Rafal Malczewski and the Zakopane Myth

An Exhibition at the National Museum, Krakow
November 17th 2006 - January 14th 2007

Zakopane.... That little highland haven shot to stardom in the last years of the nineteenth century, becoming a mecca for Polish artists and adventurers. The town even spawned a national style of architecture - it was to be a beacon of Polishness during the long night of occupation. Suffice it to say that those poets and painters were as in love with mountain folklore and architecture as they were with the highlanders themselves. Having affairs with (or better still marrying) the locals was very much the done thing for budding bards, not that the older generation was over the moon with this idea.

By the time that Poland regained her independence in 1918, the fashion for marrying peasant girls had petered out. That said, Zakopane remained a fashionable resort all the way up to 1939, with many writers and artists continuing to settle there. One of these was Rafal Malczewski (1892-1965), and it's his world that we plunge into at the National Museum's winter show.

Above: 'Motorcar in a Winter Landscape' by Rafal Malczewski (1930)

Although his skills as a painter were overlooked for many years, Rafal Malczewski has enjoyed a blast of acclaim in recent times. He's a perfect focus for any show about pre-war Zakopane, as not only are his paintings a joy to behold, his circle allows for all kinds of fascinating strands to be explored.

For Poles, Rafal Malczewski is often known simply as the son of Jacek (1854-1929). Rafal's father remains pretty much the holy of holies when it comes to Polish painting, his peculiar mix of the dreamy and the explosive hitting all the right chords for the Poles. Several of Malczewski Senior's oils open the exhibition, and these would be worth the entrance fee alone. However, as the later exhibits reveal, the son evolved a style that was very much his own, and one that's well worth discovering.

Malczewski Junior was every inch the mountain man. He studied philosophy and geology in Vienna before settling in Zakopane, where he was a fully qualified member of the Highland Rescue Team. A fearless skier, the author of many articles and books on the region, he even found time to make forays into the movies, penning the script to the romantic film 'Bialy Slad' (White Trail). No prizes for guessing that the movie is a Highland tale, peopled with stout mountaineers and trusty dogs who save beautiful ladies from avalanches. The National Museum is screening this charming old film as part of the show.

Alongside works by Malczewski father and son, there's a host of other stuff to savour. Striking Art Deco posters, old photographs and portraits by Rafal's legendary friend Witkacy (also a Zakopane resident) are all woven into the show. All in all a wonderful winter ride.



The National Museum, ul. 3 Maja 1, open daily bar Mondays.