DOI Heft:
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DOI Artikel:Białostocki, Jan: Art, politics, and national independence
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18864#0062
6. A. Sochaczewski, Being enchained, Warsaw, Muzeum Narodowe
written that it is for art historians something of a stepmother's child8. He explained this by
assuming that in historical painting political function determines the artistic one; sińce — as
Vancsa believes — art historians have been for a long time comdnced about the complete auto-
nomy of the art World, they preferred to avoid scholarly research in thefields where conditionning
by or at least connection with political functions were obvious. Should this be true for the other
countries ■—• and examples of Antal, Klingender, Haskełl, J.T. Clark, Herbert and the young
German art historians prove not to be the case9 — in Poland historical painting constituing the
nucleus of 19th century artistic achievement — never ceased to be a center of interest, although
it can not be denied that, especially from the time modern trends in art came to Poland in the
fin de siecle period, it was also an object of controversy, especially centered on Matejko's works.
Thus research in problems of historical painting developped without interruption. It is true
that it received additional stimuli because of the generał trend favouring iconographic interests
and of the revival of nineteenth century studies. Several symposia and seminars organized in
Poland in the last decades prepared good opportunities for discussions10 while contribution of
8. E. Vancsa, "ijberlegungcn zur politischen Rolle der Historienmalerei des 19. Jahrkunderts", Wiener Jahrbuck fur Kunst-
geschichte, XXVIII, 1975, p. 145—158. See also studies devoted to historical painting andits political significance in the
other countries: F. Zelger, Heldenstreit und Heldentod. Schweizerische Historicnmalrerei im 19. Jahrhundert, Ziirich-Freiburg,
i .B.1973 ; F. Haskell, "Art and the Language of Politics", Journal of European Studies, IV, 1974, p. 215—232 ; J. Sunder-
land, "Mortimer, Pine and some Political Aspects of English History Painting",Burlington Magazine, CXVI, 1974, p. 317—
326 ; R. Schock, Das Herrscherbild in der Malerei des 19. Jahrkunderts, Miinchcn, 1975 ; D. de Chapeaurouge, "Die deutsche
Geschichtsmalerei von 1800 bis 1850 und ihre politische Signifikanz", Zeitschrift des deutschen Vereins fiir Kunstuiissen*
schaft, XXXI, 1977, p. 115ff.
9. For example: F.D. Klingender, Art and Industrial Refolution, London, 1947 (republ. 1968) ; F. Haskell, "The Manufacture
of the Past in Nineteenth-Century Painting", Pasł and Present, 1971, n° 53, p. 109—120 ; T. J. Clark, The Absolute Bourgeois.
Artists and Politics in France 1848—1951, London, 1973 ; the same, Image of the People: Gustaye Coubert and the 1848
Revolution, London, 1973 ; also studies published by P. Vaisse, for instance bis "Thomas Couture on le bourgeois malgre'
lui", Romantisme. Revue du dix-neuvieme siecle (specialissue entitled Lc Bourgeois), n° 17—18, 1977, p. 103—122.
10. See Romantyzm (Acts of the Congress organized by the Polish Association of Art Historians, Warsaw, 1963), Warszawa
1967 ; Ikonografia Romantyczna (Acts of the Seminar organized by the Committee for the History of Art of the Polisb
Academy of Sciences in Nieborów, 1974), Warszawa, 1977.
52
written that it is for art historians something of a stepmother's child8. He explained this by
assuming that in historical painting political function determines the artistic one; sińce — as
Vancsa believes — art historians have been for a long time comdnced about the complete auto-
nomy of the art World, they preferred to avoid scholarly research in thefields where conditionning
by or at least connection with political functions were obvious. Should this be true for the other
countries ■—• and examples of Antal, Klingender, Haskełl, J.T. Clark, Herbert and the young
German art historians prove not to be the case9 — in Poland historical painting constituing the
nucleus of 19th century artistic achievement — never ceased to be a center of interest, although
it can not be denied that, especially from the time modern trends in art came to Poland in the
fin de siecle period, it was also an object of controversy, especially centered on Matejko's works.
Thus research in problems of historical painting developped without interruption. It is true
that it received additional stimuli because of the generał trend favouring iconographic interests
and of the revival of nineteenth century studies. Several symposia and seminars organized in
Poland in the last decades prepared good opportunities for discussions10 while contribution of
8. E. Vancsa, "ijberlegungcn zur politischen Rolle der Historienmalerei des 19. Jahrkunderts", Wiener Jahrbuck fur Kunst-
geschichte, XXVIII, 1975, p. 145—158. See also studies devoted to historical painting andits political significance in the
other countries: F. Zelger, Heldenstreit und Heldentod. Schweizerische Historicnmalrerei im 19. Jahrhundert, Ziirich-Freiburg,
i .B.1973 ; F. Haskell, "Art and the Language of Politics", Journal of European Studies, IV, 1974, p. 215—232 ; J. Sunder-
land, "Mortimer, Pine and some Political Aspects of English History Painting",Burlington Magazine, CXVI, 1974, p. 317—
326 ; R. Schock, Das Herrscherbild in der Malerei des 19. Jahrkunderts, Miinchcn, 1975 ; D. de Chapeaurouge, "Die deutsche
Geschichtsmalerei von 1800 bis 1850 und ihre politische Signifikanz", Zeitschrift des deutschen Vereins fiir Kunstuiissen*
schaft, XXXI, 1977, p. 115ff.
9. For example: F.D. Klingender, Art and Industrial Refolution, London, 1947 (republ. 1968) ; F. Haskell, "The Manufacture
of the Past in Nineteenth-Century Painting", Pasł and Present, 1971, n° 53, p. 109—120 ; T. J. Clark, The Absolute Bourgeois.
Artists and Politics in France 1848—1951, London, 1973 ; the same, Image of the People: Gustaye Coubert and the 1848
Revolution, London, 1973 ; also studies published by P. Vaisse, for instance bis "Thomas Couture on le bourgeois malgre'
lui", Romantisme. Revue du dix-neuvieme siecle (specialissue entitled Lc Bourgeois), n° 17—18, 1977, p. 103—122.
10. See Romantyzm (Acts of the Congress organized by the Polish Association of Art Historians, Warsaw, 1963), Warszawa
1967 ; Ikonografia Romantyczna (Acts of the Seminar organized by the Committee for the History of Art of the Polisb
Academy of Sciences in Nieborów, 1974), Warszawa, 1977.
52