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\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n Polish modernist masterpieces in the center of Japan
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\n “The narrative presented here revolves around Polish history; its opening chapter is depicted through the creations of Jan Matejko and Artur Grottger. However, most importantly, this period is illuminated by the contributions of Young Poland\u2019s artists. During the transition from the 19th to the 20th century, these artists were instrumental in forging a sense of national identity and ensuring that Poland remained prominent and influential within European artistic circles, even when it was absent as a nation-state on world maps,” states the exhibition catalog.\n<\/p>\n
\n Included among the displays are creations by esteemed Polish artists like Olga Bozna\u0144ska, Jacek Malczewski, J\u00f3zef Mehoffer, W\u0142adys\u0142aw Podkowi\u0144ski, J\u00f3zef Pankiewicz, and Stanis\u0142aw Wyspia\u0144ski.\n<\/p>\n
\n Among the artworks visitors can enjoy are W\u0142odzimierz Tetmajer\u2019s \u201cThe Artist’s Family,\u201d Leon Wycz\u00f3\u0142kowski\u2019s \u201cSta\u0144czyk,\u201d and J\u00f3zef Pankiewicz\u2019s \u201cCzeszysta.\u201d Also featured are several works by Jacek Malczewski such as his \u2018Portrait of Feliks Jasie\u0144ski,\u2019 \u2018Girl with Chrysanthemums\u2019 and \u2018Florists\u2019 created by Olga Bozna\u0144ska. Additionally, you\u2019ll find pieces like Alphonse Karpinski\u2019s \u201cJane with a Japanese Doll\u201d along with various paintings from Wojciech Weiss including \u201cMusicians on the Bridge\u201d, \u201cPoppies,\u201d and \u201cFears\u201d. Lastly, there is \u201cThe Bearded Woman\u201d painted by W\u0142adys\u0142aw \u015alewi\u0144ski.\n<\/p>\n
\n At the MOMAK exhibition, you can also see two previously unexhibited works by Boznanska: “Tulips” and “Mrs. L\u2019s Portrait.” These pieces were acquired during the artist’s lifetime by Magosaburo Oohara, a renowned Japanese businessman, art collector, and benefactor. Today, they form part of the holdings at the Ohara Museum of Art in Kurosaki, Japan, which houses the entirety of Mr. Oohara’s collection.\n<\/p>\n
\n The ‘Young Poland’ movement – characterized by revolt, liberty, and self-expression
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\n As art historian and founder of the ‘Outside the Frame’ platform, Maja Michalak points out that Young Poland represents a distinctive and highly varied era in painting. Similar to movements like Young Germany or Young Scandinavia, various regions across Europe adopted analogous names for their artistic trends, aiming to highlight the novelty and pioneering spirit inherent in these styles at the time.\n<\/p>\n
\n “During this period, the hallmark was the expression of defiance, the urge for liberty, and the aspiration to view art from a new perspective. This also enabled them to showcase what mattered most to each individual artist,” explains Michalak.\n<\/p>\n
\n “The artists focused more on expressing their personal uniqueness by incorporating the multiple overlapping styles from that era: Art Nouveau, Impressionism, Symbolism, as well as Expressionism. Each artist displayed these influences in somewhat distinct manners,” she explains.\n<\/p>\n
\n The allure of ‘Japonism’ \u2014 a passion that bridged two civilizations.
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\n One distinctive feature of the exhibition in Kyoto is the chance to explore how Japanese aesthetic principles impacted Polish artists over a hundred years ago.\n<\/p>\n
\n Michalak points out that we must discuss the prevalent Japonisme during this period, an intense attraction to East Asian artistic styles, which captivated many artists. They incorporated various aspects like fans and kimonos\u2014items being brought over and depicted in their works\u2014as well as themes such as dragonflies and peacocks, symbols closely linked to Asian traditions. Additionally, they adopted compositional techniques involving diagonals and increased asymmetry, concepts borrowed from Japanese woodblock prints.\n<\/p>\n
\n Urszula Kozakowska-Zaucha, the curator of the Kyoto exhibit, highlights the significant contribution made by a prominent Polish art critic and collector toward introducing Japanese art to Poland: \u201cThese exceptional artworks are displayed alongside Japanese woodblock prints, illustrating the connection between Polish art and Japan. A key figure featured prominently in this exhibition is Feliks \u2018Manggha\u2019 Jasie\u0144ski, an influential art collector whose personal collection merits its own segment. His enthusiasm for gathering such pieces and his close ties with the Young Poland artists from Krak\u00f3w helped popularize Japonisme within their circle.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Jasie\u0144ski gathered exemplary pieces of Japanese art for his collection, making these works accessible to artists who could borrow them when needed. Ultimately, in 1920, he contributed his complete art collection to the National Museum in Krakow.\n<\/p>\n
\n He also enlisted artworks from artists influenced by Japan, whom he adored, notes Michalak. The pairing of Young Poland and Japan in this exhibit is intentional. This arrangement could facilitate interaction between the Japanese audience and these pieces since they would recognize cultural components familiar to them.\n<\/p>\n
\n ‘Girl with chrysanthemums’ – the symbol of the exhibition and Boznanska’s renaissance
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\n The promotional materials for the exhibition showcased Olga Bozna\u0144ska’s painting ‘Girl with Chrysanthemums,’ which stands out as one of the era\u2019s most renowned pieces from the Young Poland movement. This selection appears intentional\u2014Bozna\u0144ska enjoys renewed acclaim after her passing, and her nuanced, introspective portraits resonate well with modern audiences. Notably, within the animated promotion for the exhibit, the once somber young girl depicted in the artwork now beams joyfully.\n<\/p>\n
\n Olga Bozna\u0144ska stands among those female artists who dedicated their entire lives to artistic creation,” says Michalak. “She sought equal chances for creativity just like men do and wished to receive similar treatment from society.” The art critic further notes, “Her career was her top priority, showcasing her strong resolve in this pursuit.\n<\/p>\n
\n Bozna\u0144ska lived primarily in Paris, where she gained significant recognition for her emotionally charged portraits that were rich with psychological insight.\n<\/p>\n
\n “The style of painting is highly distinctive and symbolic of Bozna\u0144ska\u2019s work. Her skillful technique captures an intimate closeness to the subjects depicted, infused with deep emotional resonance. This approach can be likened to how the Baroque painter Diego Vel\u00e1zquez wielded his brush; indeed, Bozna\u0144ska drew inspiration from him as well as contemporaries like \u00c9douard Manet, James McNeill Whistler, or Berthe Morisot. Such psychologically nuanced portraiture is quintessential to Olga Bozna\u0144ska\u2019s legacy,” explains Michalak.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Generally speaking, I believe that the period known as Young Poland represents one of the finest eras in our country\u2019s artistic history, particularly within Polish painting,\u201d states Michalak. \u201cThis era boasts an impressive array of artists whose work is captivating both for its historical significance and the messages they sought to communicate, as well as for its aesthetic value and visual appeal. Be it works by Bozna\u0144ska, Pankiewicz, Mehoffer, or \u015alewi\u0144ski\u2014these masterpieces exemplify exceptional artistry. In my view, such talent ought to serve as our nation\u2019s cultural ambassador and become synonymous with high-quality Polish paintings internationally.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Over 150 pieces such as paintings, drawings, and prints from the 19th and 20th centuries are currently being exhibited in Japan. This collection has been referred to as a ‘treasure trove’ featuring some of the most renowned instances of Polish Modernism. The exhibition holds significant importance for Polish-Japanese cultural ties. For the first time in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[291,479,288,699,1177],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","category-artwork","category-culture","category-exhibitions","category-poland"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AA1BWzIG.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanggraloka.com\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n The exhibition titled “Young Poland: Polish Art 1890-1918” will remain open in Kyoto up until June 29th.
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