DOI issue:
Nr. 4
DOI article:Artykuły
DOI article:Szablowska, Anna Agnieszka: Poza katalogiem: Udział polskich artystów z Francji w I Ogólnopolskiej Wystawie Plastyki (1950)
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.71008#0741
Poza katalogiem
727
Outside the Catalogue.
Polish Artists from France Participating in the 1st Polish
National Fine Arts Exhibition (1950)
The display of Polish artists living in France that
accompanied the 1st Polish National Fine Arts
Exhibition in 1950, previously unrecorded in
literature, is discussed. Since their names were not
included in the official exhibition catalogue, and
they did not draw the attention of the regime
reviewers, the fact that such display took place has
disappeared from the panorama of Polish artistic
life. Meanwhile, digitalized negatives from 1950-54,
recently described, to be found in the Photography
Archive of the Polish Institute of Art of the Polish
Academy of Sciences, include, among others, 22
photos documenting that forgotten event
(reproductions of works as well as an overview of
the National Museum room that was allocated to
their display). The records come from the initial
stage in the Institute's activity (then still named State
Institute of Art), established in late 1949 in order to
conduct the ideological offensive promoting
Socialist Realism in all the spheres of art. Apart from
consolidating the ideological superstructure, the
institution essentially focused on the methodical
recording of displays, particularly of the four Polish
National Fine Arts Exhibitions in 1950-54 of key
importance to the regime. The source is unique in
the sense that it does not only record all the
displayed works, but also some selected pieces
which did not pass through the qualifying round, or
just like in the case of the discussed paintings, were
making a guest appearance. The names of the artists
from Paris, unmentioned in official releases, are
provided in a relevant archival inventory (in
alphabetical order): Alfred Aberdam, Jan Ekiert,
Tomasz Gleb, Stanisław Grabowski, Irena Hassen-
berg (Reno), Zofia Kulaszyńska-Couret, Katarzyna
Librowicz, Glika Milbauer, Mela Muter, Stefania
Ordyńska-Morawska, Felicja Pacanowska, Lily E.
Pasławska, Maria Rygier, Mieczysław Wojtkiewicz.
This constitutes an interesting "untold" story of the
first stage of forcing through Socialist Realism and of
frantic attempts made to transfer the Soviet display
policy to Poland. It is a moment full of organizational
contradictions which can be clearly seen in inviting
the compatriots living in Paris, namely within the
"hostile" realm of Western culture, to this first
manifestation of Socialist Realism. Their small-sized
canvases, dominated by large-format Socialist
Realism output, remained almost completely
unnoticed, despite presenting the domain of Polish
painting today considered as one of major
importance. The analyzed display actually was the
only collective exhibition of paintings from the
Ecole de Paris circle held in Communist Poland.
Over forty years had to pass for the next one to take
place only in 1992, namely after Poland's
transformation, instigating great interest of both art
historians and collectors in the works of Polish
artistic migrants, particularly those living in Paris.
Translated by Magdalena Iwińska
727
Outside the Catalogue.
Polish Artists from France Participating in the 1st Polish
National Fine Arts Exhibition (1950)
The display of Polish artists living in France that
accompanied the 1st Polish National Fine Arts
Exhibition in 1950, previously unrecorded in
literature, is discussed. Since their names were not
included in the official exhibition catalogue, and
they did not draw the attention of the regime
reviewers, the fact that such display took place has
disappeared from the panorama of Polish artistic
life. Meanwhile, digitalized negatives from 1950-54,
recently described, to be found in the Photography
Archive of the Polish Institute of Art of the Polish
Academy of Sciences, include, among others, 22
photos documenting that forgotten event
(reproductions of works as well as an overview of
the National Museum room that was allocated to
their display). The records come from the initial
stage in the Institute's activity (then still named State
Institute of Art), established in late 1949 in order to
conduct the ideological offensive promoting
Socialist Realism in all the spheres of art. Apart from
consolidating the ideological superstructure, the
institution essentially focused on the methodical
recording of displays, particularly of the four Polish
National Fine Arts Exhibitions in 1950-54 of key
importance to the regime. The source is unique in
the sense that it does not only record all the
displayed works, but also some selected pieces
which did not pass through the qualifying round, or
just like in the case of the discussed paintings, were
making a guest appearance. The names of the artists
from Paris, unmentioned in official releases, are
provided in a relevant archival inventory (in
alphabetical order): Alfred Aberdam, Jan Ekiert,
Tomasz Gleb, Stanisław Grabowski, Irena Hassen-
berg (Reno), Zofia Kulaszyńska-Couret, Katarzyna
Librowicz, Glika Milbauer, Mela Muter, Stefania
Ordyńska-Morawska, Felicja Pacanowska, Lily E.
Pasławska, Maria Rygier, Mieczysław Wojtkiewicz.
This constitutes an interesting "untold" story of the
first stage of forcing through Socialist Realism and of
frantic attempts made to transfer the Soviet display
policy to Poland. It is a moment full of organizational
contradictions which can be clearly seen in inviting
the compatriots living in Paris, namely within the
"hostile" realm of Western culture, to this first
manifestation of Socialist Realism. Their small-sized
canvases, dominated by large-format Socialist
Realism output, remained almost completely
unnoticed, despite presenting the domain of Polish
painting today considered as one of major
importance. The analyzed display actually was the
only collective exhibition of paintings from the
Ecole de Paris circle held in Communist Poland.
Over forty years had to pass for the next one to take
place only in 1992, namely after Poland's
transformation, instigating great interest of both art
historians and collectors in the works of Polish
artistic migrants, particularly those living in Paris.
Translated by Magdalena Iwińska