DOI Heft:
Nr. 2-3
DOI Artikel:Rottermund, Andrzej: The "Road to Independence" in Polish art of the 19th century
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18864#0070
6. W. Majeranowski, The burial of the victims fallen in Aprił 1848, about 1848, oil on canvas,
Historie Museum of the City of Warsaw
the trust in God's and Our Lady's special kindness for orphans. "God, save Poland!" and "Our
Lady, do not forsake us!" —■ is how the bereft nation expressed its trust in Gods' protection.
A Work that had a great impact on the public and was popularized in thousands of cheap litho-
graphies was Piotr Stachiewicz's painting representing the Virgin Mary with Candles rescuing
orphans and strays from a pack of hungry wolves.
Another very wide theme of our exhibition was the myth of the national hero. The period of
fights for independence abounded in heroes worschipped by the nation. This subject in itself
could be one of a special, extensive exhibition. For the sake of balance, we confined ourselves
to two f igures : Tadeusz Kościuszko (f igs. 2 and 5) and Prince Józef Poniatowski, embodying the
myth of thePolish national hero. The ąualities ascribed to them were those of ideał heroes; the
legend of their lives, a great myth of fight, couiage, justice, patriotism and death, often differed
in details from their actual biographies. The myth had a powerful effect on the imagination of the
coming generation of Poles ; the heroes, famed in legend, acąuired the rank of symbols of fight
for independence in almost all political situations. In the rich iconography depicting the biogra-
phies of the two men, some moments or types of heroic size images recur particularly often. Among
them are : the allegoric portrait of the hero, exemplified at the exhibition by Józef Grassi's
portraits of Prince Józef or Kościuszko, and series presenting scenes from their life, among which
especially noterworthy is the oath sworn to the nation. The motif of an oath of allegiance to the
great and noble cause, popularized by Michał Stachowicz's composition, was later used to depict
60
Historie Museum of the City of Warsaw
the trust in God's and Our Lady's special kindness for orphans. "God, save Poland!" and "Our
Lady, do not forsake us!" —■ is how the bereft nation expressed its trust in Gods' protection.
A Work that had a great impact on the public and was popularized in thousands of cheap litho-
graphies was Piotr Stachiewicz's painting representing the Virgin Mary with Candles rescuing
orphans and strays from a pack of hungry wolves.
Another very wide theme of our exhibition was the myth of the national hero. The period of
fights for independence abounded in heroes worschipped by the nation. This subject in itself
could be one of a special, extensive exhibition. For the sake of balance, we confined ourselves
to two f igures : Tadeusz Kościuszko (f igs. 2 and 5) and Prince Józef Poniatowski, embodying the
myth of thePolish national hero. The ąualities ascribed to them were those of ideał heroes; the
legend of their lives, a great myth of fight, couiage, justice, patriotism and death, often differed
in details from their actual biographies. The myth had a powerful effect on the imagination of the
coming generation of Poles ; the heroes, famed in legend, acąuired the rank of symbols of fight
for independence in almost all political situations. In the rich iconography depicting the biogra-
phies of the two men, some moments or types of heroic size images recur particularly often. Among
them are : the allegoric portrait of the hero, exemplified at the exhibition by Józef Grassi's
portraits of Prince Józef or Kościuszko, and series presenting scenes from their life, among which
especially noterworthy is the oath sworn to the nation. The motif of an oath of allegiance to the
great and noble cause, popularized by Michał Stachowicz's composition, was later used to depict
60