DOI issue:
Nr. 4
DOI article:Michałowski, Maciej Piotr: The Raczyński of Rogalin
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18940#0147
Kotsis, Pankiewicz (3 picturcs which are important for Polish impressionism, of which the most
outstanding is The Yillage of Mokra, 1892), Sicmiradzki, Stanisławski, K. Tetmajer, Wywiórski
and Zmurko.
Polish sculpture was represented by Konieczny, Laszczka, Madcyski, Pleszkowski, Puget
and Wittig (Bust of Edward Aleksander Raczyński, 1912).
The collection of works by West Europeans was slightly smaller, but none the less interesting
and valuable. Confining oursclves to the morc important names, we see that there were works
by representatives of post-impressionism and symbolism who are highly valued today. Most
of these are French: J. E. Blanche, E. Carriere, M. Chabas, Ch. Cottet, C. H. Dufau, A. Dauchez,
P. C. Helleu, H. le Sidaner, L. Levy-Dhurmer, H. G. Martin, E. R. Menard, R. A. Seyssaud,
L. Simon and E. A. Wery. But we also find Belgians (G. Buysse, E. Claus, L. Frederic), Germans
(P. Crodel, E. Dill, H. Konig, M. Slevogt, R. Weise), Spaniards (L. Barrau, I. Zuloaga) and
Italians (C. Laurenti, F. Sartorelli). Raczyński hr.d two works by the Dutch painter H. G. Ibels
and Yincent van Gogh's Women Scrubbing the Floor (proba.bly a print; it has sińce been lost)-
Art Nauveau was represented by, among others, the Viennese painter W. List ar.d Self-portrait
by the Munich artist Franz von Stuek.
The collection of foreign sculpture was modest; it contained works by the French artists
M. Besner, J. Jozon, E. Lachenal and A. Lenoir.
It is worth noting that a large number of paintings purchascd for the Gallery consisted of
pictures by artists who were fashiona.ble at the time, exponents of the so-callcd official, aca-
demic art, and winners of medals in the Paris Salons. There were mostly French artists like
P. A. Besnard, A. Calbet, G. Callot, A. E. Dinet, D. Etcheverry, R.-M. Guillaume, L. H. Monodr
G. G. Roger, H. Thierot, E. Tournes, but also Belgians (L. Frederic, Ch. Doudelet), Dutchmen
(H. W. Jansen), Germans (P. Hetze, A. Erdtelt, C. von Marr, Ch. Palmie), Norwegians (F. J.
Thaulow), Englishmen (J. H. Davies, F. Spenlove-Spenlove), and cven Americans and Canadians
(A. D. Gihon, L. Walden, M. G. Cullen).
These pictures, which vary in style, displaying realistic, symbolic, idealistic and sentimental
characteristics, have survived practically intact in the collections of the Poznań Museum, and
make up Poland's most representative collection of the typc of art which is described as "salon"
painting in the common meaning of this term.63 After years of disgrace, this kind of painting
is now being rehabilitated and finding its place in the history of nineteenth century European
art.
Some of the paintings collectcd by Raczyński contain erotic undertones, but "this was the
sort of collector he was, and this was the era he lived in".64 There is still no proper academic
monograph on Edward Aleksander Raczyński as a collector and connoisseur of art, and opinions
on his activity in the area are dividcd between those verdicts which are highly favourable (mainly
from contemporaries of his) and those which are strongly critical (especially among the younger
generation). There is no gain saying the fact, however, that Raczyński was one of the few outs-
tanding collectors of art in Poland at the turn of the century, and belongs to the same class
as the eccentric Feliks Jasieński-Manggha65 and the refined Ignacy Korwin Milewski, the leading
collector of Polish painting at that time.66
63. This applies both to European and Polish art of that era. Cf. M. Poprzecka, Polskie malarstwo salonowe, Warszawa, 1991,
pp. 5—6.
64. K. Morawski, O Kazimierzu Morawskim. Ze wspomnień syna i kronik rodzinnych, Kraków, 1973,p. 170; see also his critieal
remarks on the profile of E. A. Iiaczyński's collection.
65. Jasieński's collection has survived in its essential outline in the National Museum in CracoW.
66. Malczewski's Wonderful collection has been almost entirely broken np; cf. A. Ryszkicwicz, "Galeria obrazów Ignacego
Korwin Milewskiego", [in:] same anthor's Kolekcjonerzy i miłośnicy, Warszawa, 1981, pp. 197—222.
128
outstanding is The Yillage of Mokra, 1892), Sicmiradzki, Stanisławski, K. Tetmajer, Wywiórski
and Zmurko.
Polish sculpture was represented by Konieczny, Laszczka, Madcyski, Pleszkowski, Puget
and Wittig (Bust of Edward Aleksander Raczyński, 1912).
The collection of works by West Europeans was slightly smaller, but none the less interesting
and valuable. Confining oursclves to the morc important names, we see that there were works
by representatives of post-impressionism and symbolism who are highly valued today. Most
of these are French: J. E. Blanche, E. Carriere, M. Chabas, Ch. Cottet, C. H. Dufau, A. Dauchez,
P. C. Helleu, H. le Sidaner, L. Levy-Dhurmer, H. G. Martin, E. R. Menard, R. A. Seyssaud,
L. Simon and E. A. Wery. But we also find Belgians (G. Buysse, E. Claus, L. Frederic), Germans
(P. Crodel, E. Dill, H. Konig, M. Slevogt, R. Weise), Spaniards (L. Barrau, I. Zuloaga) and
Italians (C. Laurenti, F. Sartorelli). Raczyński hr.d two works by the Dutch painter H. G. Ibels
and Yincent van Gogh's Women Scrubbing the Floor (proba.bly a print; it has sińce been lost)-
Art Nauveau was represented by, among others, the Viennese painter W. List ar.d Self-portrait
by the Munich artist Franz von Stuek.
The collection of foreign sculpture was modest; it contained works by the French artists
M. Besner, J. Jozon, E. Lachenal and A. Lenoir.
It is worth noting that a large number of paintings purchascd for the Gallery consisted of
pictures by artists who were fashiona.ble at the time, exponents of the so-callcd official, aca-
demic art, and winners of medals in the Paris Salons. There were mostly French artists like
P. A. Besnard, A. Calbet, G. Callot, A. E. Dinet, D. Etcheverry, R.-M. Guillaume, L. H. Monodr
G. G. Roger, H. Thierot, E. Tournes, but also Belgians (L. Frederic, Ch. Doudelet), Dutchmen
(H. W. Jansen), Germans (P. Hetze, A. Erdtelt, C. von Marr, Ch. Palmie), Norwegians (F. J.
Thaulow), Englishmen (J. H. Davies, F. Spenlove-Spenlove), and cven Americans and Canadians
(A. D. Gihon, L. Walden, M. G. Cullen).
These pictures, which vary in style, displaying realistic, symbolic, idealistic and sentimental
characteristics, have survived practically intact in the collections of the Poznań Museum, and
make up Poland's most representative collection of the typc of art which is described as "salon"
painting in the common meaning of this term.63 After years of disgrace, this kind of painting
is now being rehabilitated and finding its place in the history of nineteenth century European
art.
Some of the paintings collectcd by Raczyński contain erotic undertones, but "this was the
sort of collector he was, and this was the era he lived in".64 There is still no proper academic
monograph on Edward Aleksander Raczyński as a collector and connoisseur of art, and opinions
on his activity in the area are dividcd between those verdicts which are highly favourable (mainly
from contemporaries of his) and those which are strongly critical (especially among the younger
generation). There is no gain saying the fact, however, that Raczyński was one of the few outs-
tanding collectors of art in Poland at the turn of the century, and belongs to the same class
as the eccentric Feliks Jasieński-Manggha65 and the refined Ignacy Korwin Milewski, the leading
collector of Polish painting at that time.66
63. This applies both to European and Polish art of that era. Cf. M. Poprzecka, Polskie malarstwo salonowe, Warszawa, 1991,
pp. 5—6.
64. K. Morawski, O Kazimierzu Morawskim. Ze wspomnień syna i kronik rodzinnych, Kraków, 1973,p. 170; see also his critieal
remarks on the profile of E. A. Iiaczyński's collection.
65. Jasieński's collection has survived in its essential outline in the National Museum in CracoW.
66. Malczewski's Wonderful collection has been almost entirely broken np; cf. A. Ryszkicwicz, "Galeria obrazów Ignacego
Korwin Milewskiego", [in:] same anthor's Kolekcjonerzy i miłośnicy, Warszawa, 1981, pp. 197—222.
128