DOI Heft:
Nr. 4
DOI Artikel:Michałowski, Maciej Piotr: The Raczyński of Rogalin
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18940#0146
When Edward Aleksander Raczyński died, and conscąuently, when the collection was com-
plete,69 the contents of the gallery in Rogalin were mimerically very impressive. The first guide-
hook mentions 466 works, of which 255 had been produced by 80 Polish artists, and 191 by
138 foreign artists.60 At the time this was one of the biggest and best collections of contempo-
rary art in Poland which were open to the public.
This vahiable and beautiful collection was dominated by Polish painting from the late ninete-
enth and carly tweńtieth centuries, although it also contained carlier works, like the water-
colours by Piotr Michałowski (A French Soldier with Horses in a Sabie, 1845^1 or Juliusz Kossak
(Napoleon III on Horseback). The crowning glory of the Rogalin Gallery, not just because of
its extra large dimensions, was Jan Matejko's historical composition, painted in 1886, The Maid
of Orleans."1 In his collection Raczyński showed a special preference for artists from the Art
Nouveau era, and all the various trends which characterized Polish art during that time — begi-
nning with rcalism and moving through impressionism and Art Nouveau to symbolism and expres-
sionism. Artists of this period who were particularly valued by him included Olga Boznańska
(there were six of her works in the collection, mainly portraits Fig. 7), Leon Wyczółkowski (16
works, mainly landscapes in pastel), Wojciech Weiss (11 pictures), and Stanisław Wyspiański
(13 compositions, mainly portraits in pastel); however, Jacek Malczewski was by far Raczyń-
ski^ favourite artist (Fig. 8).
Raczyński had a very high regard for Malczewski and saw him as the leading representative
of the Polish art of that time. Hence the presence in the Gallery of 35 works by this painter,
mainly from his later period, in which Malczewski emerged as a great exponent of symbolism,
but also from his earlicr realistic phase. This group of pictures, almost all of which, fortunately,
can be viewed today in the National Muscum in Poznań, contains such basie and essential Works
in the artist's oeuvre as Melancholy (1.884), Ficious Circle (1895—97), the cycle Poisoned Wells
(1905—06) and Consolation (1911). As a result of a visit to Rogalin Malczewski painted In the
Dust Cloud (1893), a depiction of the local landscape, which displays certain characteristics
of the fantastic style in landscape painting; this marks the fact that the artist had reached fuli
creative maturity and developed his own painting tecbniąue. We owe this large and valuable
collection to the close friendship between Raczyński and Malczewski. To this day, the Mal-
czewski collection remains the trade name of the Rogalin Gallery.62
Apart from this, Raczyński acąuired for his collection many works by Polish artists who
were popular and highly regarded at the time. He mainly favoured such artists as Axentowicz
(6 works), Dąbrowa-Dąbrowski (8 works), Fabijański (11 compositions), Fałat and Hofmann
(7 works each), Jabłczyński and Sichulski (6 works each) and Stachiewicz (5 drawings). In Ro-
galin one could also come across the Work of other well-known artists like Ajdukiewicz, Bilińska,
Chełmoński (Ploughing, 1896), A. Gierymski (the exc2ptionally fine Louvre by Night, 1892).
59. Shortly beforc his death he bought Tadeusz Pruszko\\'ski's picture Portrait of a Man in Glasses, 1926.
60. Przewodnik Galerij ohrazów hr. Raczyńskiego w Rogalinie, no date or place, [Poznań, after 1926], mentions in addition 17
works by unknown artists, one photograph. and two reproduetions. In the second edition of the Guide (Poznań 1938)
which was somewhat altered, the contents of the Gallery were reduccd to 386 items.
■61. The structural design of the largest room in the puvilion was adapted to the enormous dimensions of this picture (almost
5 by 10 metres). The artist conceived the picture as a gift from the Polish nation to France in token of its gratitude to her,
Much to Matejko's indignation, the picture was never presented for political reasons. Edward A. Raczyński acquired
it a few years later.
-62. For a detailed discussion of Malczewski's Works see: Jacek Malczewski. Katalog wystawy monograficznej, Muzeum Naro-
dowe w Poznaniu, Poznań, 1968. sce also: Malczewski: A Vision of Poland, exthibition catalogue, Barbican Gallery,
London, 1990.
127
plete,69 the contents of the gallery in Rogalin were mimerically very impressive. The first guide-
hook mentions 466 works, of which 255 had been produced by 80 Polish artists, and 191 by
138 foreign artists.60 At the time this was one of the biggest and best collections of contempo-
rary art in Poland which were open to the public.
This vahiable and beautiful collection was dominated by Polish painting from the late ninete-
enth and carly tweńtieth centuries, although it also contained carlier works, like the water-
colours by Piotr Michałowski (A French Soldier with Horses in a Sabie, 1845^1 or Juliusz Kossak
(Napoleon III on Horseback). The crowning glory of the Rogalin Gallery, not just because of
its extra large dimensions, was Jan Matejko's historical composition, painted in 1886, The Maid
of Orleans."1 In his collection Raczyński showed a special preference for artists from the Art
Nouveau era, and all the various trends which characterized Polish art during that time — begi-
nning with rcalism and moving through impressionism and Art Nouveau to symbolism and expres-
sionism. Artists of this period who were particularly valued by him included Olga Boznańska
(there were six of her works in the collection, mainly portraits Fig. 7), Leon Wyczółkowski (16
works, mainly landscapes in pastel), Wojciech Weiss (11 pictures), and Stanisław Wyspiański
(13 compositions, mainly portraits in pastel); however, Jacek Malczewski was by far Raczyń-
ski^ favourite artist (Fig. 8).
Raczyński had a very high regard for Malczewski and saw him as the leading representative
of the Polish art of that time. Hence the presence in the Gallery of 35 works by this painter,
mainly from his later period, in which Malczewski emerged as a great exponent of symbolism,
but also from his earlicr realistic phase. This group of pictures, almost all of which, fortunately,
can be viewed today in the National Muscum in Poznań, contains such basie and essential Works
in the artist's oeuvre as Melancholy (1.884), Ficious Circle (1895—97), the cycle Poisoned Wells
(1905—06) and Consolation (1911). As a result of a visit to Rogalin Malczewski painted In the
Dust Cloud (1893), a depiction of the local landscape, which displays certain characteristics
of the fantastic style in landscape painting; this marks the fact that the artist had reached fuli
creative maturity and developed his own painting tecbniąue. We owe this large and valuable
collection to the close friendship between Raczyński and Malczewski. To this day, the Mal-
czewski collection remains the trade name of the Rogalin Gallery.62
Apart from this, Raczyński acąuired for his collection many works by Polish artists who
were popular and highly regarded at the time. He mainly favoured such artists as Axentowicz
(6 works), Dąbrowa-Dąbrowski (8 works), Fabijański (11 compositions), Fałat and Hofmann
(7 works each), Jabłczyński and Sichulski (6 works each) and Stachiewicz (5 drawings). In Ro-
galin one could also come across the Work of other well-known artists like Ajdukiewicz, Bilińska,
Chełmoński (Ploughing, 1896), A. Gierymski (the exc2ptionally fine Louvre by Night, 1892).
59. Shortly beforc his death he bought Tadeusz Pruszko\\'ski's picture Portrait of a Man in Glasses, 1926.
60. Przewodnik Galerij ohrazów hr. Raczyńskiego w Rogalinie, no date or place, [Poznań, after 1926], mentions in addition 17
works by unknown artists, one photograph. and two reproduetions. In the second edition of the Guide (Poznań 1938)
which was somewhat altered, the contents of the Gallery were reduccd to 386 items.
■61. The structural design of the largest room in the puvilion was adapted to the enormous dimensions of this picture (almost
5 by 10 metres). The artist conceived the picture as a gift from the Polish nation to France in token of its gratitude to her,
Much to Matejko's indignation, the picture was never presented for political reasons. Edward A. Raczyński acquired
it a few years later.
-62. For a detailed discussion of Malczewski's Works see: Jacek Malczewski. Katalog wystawy monograficznej, Muzeum Naro-
dowe w Poznaniu, Poznań, 1968. sce also: Malczewski: A Vision of Poland, exthibition catalogue, Barbican Gallery,
London, 1990.
127