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DOI Artikel:Ławniczakowa, Agnieszka: In the Mirror of a Well: On Jacek Malczewski's self-portraits
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18904#0067
21. Jacek Malczewski, Transference of Palettc, 1922, Cracow, Muzeum Narodowe (Photo.
Poznań, Muzeum Narodowe)
To elucidate this particular ąuestión, let us fmally go back to the concept of narciasism men-
tioned in the first sentencc in eonnećtion with self-portaiture. The myth of Narcissus has been
most frequently understood in its moralising aspect. Narcissus is viewed as the epitome of
vanity, egocentrism, self-love and self-satisfaction or even self-adoration. We usually have
these ąualities in mind when we talk about narcissism. Yet the modern, profound interpretation
of the beautiful youth looking at himself in the water, brings out the positivc aspect of the myth.
For instance, this is done in aesthetics, probably following in Alberti's footsteps who observes
in his Treatise that Narcissus is the true hwentor of painting, and underlines his importance to
the entire problem of cognition. Further, Gaston Bachelard discovers cosmic narcissism: „The
forest and the sky look at themselves in the water together with Narcissus. Narcissus is no longer
lonely, the universe is reflected with him, and, while embracing him, is animated by Narcissus'
soul"48. .
It may be judged from Jacek Malczewski^ entire oeuvre that he was aware of the dangers of
narcissism, and the seductive role of bcauty leading to self-annihilation. We may also find al-
lusions to it in self-portraits which, naturally enough, must have prompted self-reflection linked
with the problem of narcissism. Two images from almost the same time, about 1900, may serve
as an illustration. One is the image of the artist looking at himself in the mirror of a fountains,
in a rose garden immersed in a Bocklin-like atmosphere of hedonism (Fig. 22)50. Another is the
49. G. Bachelard, L'eau et les reres, essai sur 1'imaginatwn de la maturę, Paris, 1942, quoted after: Dictionnaire des symboles....
sous la direction de J. Chevalier, Paris, 1969, p. 528.
50. Self-portrait — Meditation (?). ca. 1900, priv. col 51. Knight by the Weil, ca. 1900, bearings unknown. Cf. K. Wyka, op. cit..
pp. 52 and 69.
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Poznań, Muzeum Narodowe)
To elucidate this particular ąuestión, let us fmally go back to the concept of narciasism men-
tioned in the first sentencc in eonnećtion with self-portaiture. The myth of Narcissus has been
most frequently understood in its moralising aspect. Narcissus is viewed as the epitome of
vanity, egocentrism, self-love and self-satisfaction or even self-adoration. We usually have
these ąualities in mind when we talk about narcissism. Yet the modern, profound interpretation
of the beautiful youth looking at himself in the water, brings out the positivc aspect of the myth.
For instance, this is done in aesthetics, probably following in Alberti's footsteps who observes
in his Treatise that Narcissus is the true hwentor of painting, and underlines his importance to
the entire problem of cognition. Further, Gaston Bachelard discovers cosmic narcissism: „The
forest and the sky look at themselves in the water together with Narcissus. Narcissus is no longer
lonely, the universe is reflected with him, and, while embracing him, is animated by Narcissus'
soul"48. .
It may be judged from Jacek Malczewski^ entire oeuvre that he was aware of the dangers of
narcissism, and the seductive role of bcauty leading to self-annihilation. We may also find al-
lusions to it in self-portraits which, naturally enough, must have prompted self-reflection linked
with the problem of narcissism. Two images from almost the same time, about 1900, may serve
as an illustration. One is the image of the artist looking at himself in the mirror of a fountains,
in a rose garden immersed in a Bocklin-like atmosphere of hedonism (Fig. 22)50. Another is the
49. G. Bachelard, L'eau et les reres, essai sur 1'imaginatwn de la maturę, Paris, 1942, quoted after: Dictionnaire des symboles....
sous la direction de J. Chevalier, Paris, 1969, p. 528.
50. Self-portrait — Meditation (?). ca. 1900, priv. col 51. Knight by the Weil, ca. 1900, bearings unknown. Cf. K. Wyka, op. cit..
pp. 52 and 69.
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