DOI Heft:
Nr.4
DOI Artikel:Maksymczak, Marek: Ku realizmowi: o przedstawieniach "szoferów" Andrzeja Wróblewskiego
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.34904#0508
498
MAREK MAKSYMCZAK
Ay^7?ć/rzćy WróA/^w,sAf
The subject of his article are the depictions of
chauffeurs by painter Andrzej Wróblewski. A
collection of these works arose between 1948 and
1956. The most famous of the pictures comprising
this cycle are two oil paintings titled 'The Blue
Chauffeur' (&o/er nmó/eył/), dating from 1948 and
'The Chauffeur' (Szo/er) of 1956. The enormous
popularity of both studies, comprising alongside the
series 'Executed by Firing Squad' (^ozs-Aze/fwo^i)
the most frequently reproduced of the artist works,
to some extent led to the presentations in gouache
and watercolour of the same artisTs drivers.
The lack of interest in Wróblewskie gouaches,
and indeed gouaches in generaf may be explained
by how people had become accustomed to the idea
that a 'work of art' is represented by an oil painting
on canvas. Applying, in comparison the gouache
technique on paper or a watercolour, seen at the most
to represent a sketch or workshop study are each of
secondary importance in comparison to a work in
oils. in the case of the Wróblewski works under
consideration, this situation has proven exceptional.
It turns out that the naturę of the relationship arising
between the given oil painting and taking up of
the same subject in gouache and watercolours is
morę complicate than is usually marked by a
straightforward dependence between the finished
work and the draught outline. Not only did the artist
make use of the gouache technique in order to
produce sketch work, but primarily as a means to
create paintings, in which respect the questions
relating to his oil works find both their solution and
fulfilment. In making repetitions of the chauffeur
motif in applying an altemative technique,
Wróblewski subjected the said motif to a certain
degree of modification. Moreover, this modification
closely corresponds with the works' meaning, as
characterised by the altered naturę of this medium. It
appears that the change occurring within the rangę
of representations of the chauffeur from oils to
gouache and watercolour parallels the alteration in
the actual works' semantic content. The meaning
carried in the oil painting diverges, at least to some
degree, from that characterised in the gouaches or
watercolours. These contrasts in semantic content
should not be read as incoherence arising between
these particular works, but should be seen as a
change of meaning carried out in categories of mutu-
al dialogue, linking the particular declarations. In
connection with the above, it turns out that within
the scope of depictions of the chauffeur one common
problem makes itself present that concerns the
elimination of compositions devoid of subject from
the figurative scenes. Put in another way, a
mechanism makes its appearance at this point aiming
to render as real the depiction of reality. The said
process leads from composition presenting a scene
unnatural in character, as in ózo/er mTó/asA; (oil on
canvas, 1948) towards a realistic work, as in 5zo/er
w /mayczF (gouache on paper, 1956). Seen in this
light, the gouaches and watercolours are worthy
of particular attention, sińce they constitute
declarations that may develop the problems
contained in painter works, present the fulfilment of
these problems or otherwise achieve both ends at the
same time.
MAREK MAKSYMCZAK
Ay^7?ć/rzćy WróA/^w,sAf
The subject of his article are the depictions of
chauffeurs by painter Andrzej Wróblewski. A
collection of these works arose between 1948 and
1956. The most famous of the pictures comprising
this cycle are two oil paintings titled 'The Blue
Chauffeur' (&o/er nmó/eył/), dating from 1948 and
'The Chauffeur' (Szo/er) of 1956. The enormous
popularity of both studies, comprising alongside the
series 'Executed by Firing Squad' (^ozs-Aze/fwo^i)
the most frequently reproduced of the artist works,
to some extent led to the presentations in gouache
and watercolour of the same artisTs drivers.
The lack of interest in Wróblewskie gouaches,
and indeed gouaches in generaf may be explained
by how people had become accustomed to the idea
that a 'work of art' is represented by an oil painting
on canvas. Applying, in comparison the gouache
technique on paper or a watercolour, seen at the most
to represent a sketch or workshop study are each of
secondary importance in comparison to a work in
oils. in the case of the Wróblewski works under
consideration, this situation has proven exceptional.
It turns out that the naturę of the relationship arising
between the given oil painting and taking up of
the same subject in gouache and watercolours is
morę complicate than is usually marked by a
straightforward dependence between the finished
work and the draught outline. Not only did the artist
make use of the gouache technique in order to
produce sketch work, but primarily as a means to
create paintings, in which respect the questions
relating to his oil works find both their solution and
fulfilment. In making repetitions of the chauffeur
motif in applying an altemative technique,
Wróblewski subjected the said motif to a certain
degree of modification. Moreover, this modification
closely corresponds with the works' meaning, as
characterised by the altered naturę of this medium. It
appears that the change occurring within the rangę
of representations of the chauffeur from oils to
gouache and watercolour parallels the alteration in
the actual works' semantic content. The meaning
carried in the oil painting diverges, at least to some
degree, from that characterised in the gouaches or
watercolours. These contrasts in semantic content
should not be read as incoherence arising between
these particular works, but should be seen as a
change of meaning carried out in categories of mutu-
al dialogue, linking the particular declarations. In
connection with the above, it turns out that within
the scope of depictions of the chauffeur one common
problem makes itself present that concerns the
elimination of compositions devoid of subject from
the figurative scenes. Put in another way, a
mechanism makes its appearance at this point aiming
to render as real the depiction of reality. The said
process leads from composition presenting a scene
unnatural in character, as in ózo/er mTó/asA; (oil on
canvas, 1948) towards a realistic work, as in 5zo/er
w /mayczF (gouache on paper, 1956). Seen in this
light, the gouaches and watercolours are worthy
of particular attention, sińce they constitute
declarations that may develop the problems
contained in painter works, present the fulfilment of
these problems or otherwise achieve both ends at the
same time.