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| AXENTOWICZ EXHIBITION Fin de Siecle Deja Vu Paintings from around the end of the last century are hanging in Cracow at the end of this. Fine art comes full cycle. Two exhibition rooms on the second floor of the National Museum in Cracow have been transformed into charming drawing rooms from the late 19th century. They are divided into a pair of smaller spaces, each of which is furnished with antiques from that era-a secretary covered with letters, a desk scattered with old photos and a chaise longue draped carelessly with a colorful shawl. But even more so than the furniture, Teodor Axentowicz's paintings on the walls conjure up the mood of the period. It was for these paintings that the atmosphere of this bygone century was recreated: the salons in which and for which they once appeared. At that time, most painting was done on commission, intended to adorn the stately homes of the aristocracy, the middle class and the landed gentry. In keeping with the Młoda Polska (Young Poland-the nation's version of Art Nouveau) approach to art, the oil paintings, pastels, watercolors and drawings are discreetly grouped according to color, which highlight, the most important works: Ruda (Redhead), Portret Zofii Jachimeckiej (Portrait of Zofia Jachimecka), Porter Władysława Czartoryskiego (Władysław Czartoryski's Porter), Dama w czerni (Lady in Black), Poselstwo polskie u Henryka Walezego (The Polish Legation before Henry of Valois), Święto Jordanu (Feast of the Jordan), Pogrzeb huculski (Carpathian Mountaineer Funeral), and Kołomyjka (The Round Dance). Among the 250 pictures, the most numerous are gorgeous portraits of women (Axentowicz used to say, "Only women are fit for painting..."). Matrons, maidens and little girls from the best homes peer out of the frames haughtily or coquettishly, draped in exquisite garb-evening gowns, furs, hats, jewels and long gloves. All Axentowicz's ladies are distinguished, delicate, elegant and conscious of their charms, gracefully placed in a timely setting. It is pure pleasure to look into the grand world of the fin de siřcle. The author of these "salon" portraits was once called the ambassador of Polish art. Axentowicz (1859-1938) was trained in Lviv, Munich and Paris, where he always found for himself a wide social circle of friends and acquaintances, spending his days not only in salons but also at royal courts. He painted duchesses and princesses, the divine Sara Bernhardt and a certain Henrietta Fouquier, daughter of the influential owner of Le Figaro daily. The artist was honored with countless awards and titles (his diplomas are on display at the exhibition). He was active in several societies, a co-founder of Sztuka Polish Artists' Society and a member of the Vienna Secession. After a seven-year stay in Paris, then the "capital of art," he returned to Cracow to work as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts (twice serving as rector, in 1910 and 1927-34). His fame was not only due to portraits; many of his genre paintings focused on the then fashionable Carpathian highlanders. Here we have portraits of mountaineers, portrayals of their rigorous life, ceremonies and celebrations. Along with these two subjects, Axentowicz also produced paintings on historical themes and family portraits. A tiny "parlor" at the exhibition is devoted to this second subject. Here we find Rodzina artysty (The Artist's Family, 1907). It is the largest Polish pastel portrait, and was created over the course of many years. As his children were born (all eight of them) and grew up, Axentowicz reworked the picture, adding a new baby, aging the others etc. His family portraits, especially of small children, exude warmth and sweetness, unmistakably painted with genuine affection. In this room is the largest collection of objects related to the artist, including his old paintbrushes and pastels. The exhibition is devoted solely to Axentowicz, and the choice of works is representative of his oeuvre. Gathering together so many pictures was no mean task, scattered as they were in so many private and museum collections. This is the biggest display of his work since 1938, when, just after his death, hundreds of his paintings were exhibited in Cracow. In mid-January the exhibition will move to the Śląskie Museum in Katowice. Edyta Gajewska Teodor Axentowicz, National Museum in Cracow, 1, 3 Maja Ave., through Jan. 10, open Tue., Thu.-Sun. 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Wed. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. |
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