DOI Artikel:
Danielewicz, Iwona: The Collection of Gabriela Zapolska
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18947#0140
In a photograph of Gabriela Zapolska from 1906, showing her with a few
of the works from her collection in the background, it is easy to discern the
smali Female Nudę Viewed from Behind by Seurat. In the upper left corner is
the fragment of a larger composition with fiat, winding arabesąue forms,
known as a work by Paul Ranson. Zapolska had one work by this artist in her
possession, mentioned in both exhibition catalogues as Panneau decoratif and
described by Dąbrowski in Nowa Reforma: “Ranson brings to the Decoratiue
Panel life transferred from Japanese paintmg of long ago b--]”S4 The painting
was exhibited at auction in Warsaw’s Dom Sztuki on April 12, 1923 as the
work of Ranson, but found no purchasers.8' “Ranson, the most Japanese” of
all the Nabis, studied in the Parisian Academie Julian beginning in 1888, where
he met Serusier, Denis, Bonnard, Vuillard, Roussell and Ibels, and with whom
in the futurę he would create the Nabis. It was in his Paris apartment, which
they called the tempie, that their meetings and discussions took place. Ranson,
much morę than the rest of the group, was interested in decorative art, and
eagerly created stage sets as well as wallpaper, screens, and clothing fabrics.
In the photograph previously mentioned there is probably one of the lost
canvasses of Serusier and possibly the already mentioned work by Pissarro,
which however is not Bois de Boulogne.
Zapolska also owned works by Polish artists. At the exhibitions in Cracow
and Lwów she displayed works by Pankiewicz, Buckwheat in Bloom, Jan
Mirosław Peszke’s Melancboly, as well as two drawings by Boznańska,
described as studies.84 85 86 87 88 All of these works have disappeared. Zapolska tried to
help Polish artists working in France. She was interested not only in Pankiewicz
and Podkowiński, but also the many flattering opinions voiced about Peszke.8
“Peszke’s works carry the superb mark of an enlivened autonomy. Rejecting
the dirty tones and weak drawing practised by the entire so-called Paris
academicians, this young artist is trying out his wings and creates fascinating
things, elear, fuli of light and space, not lacking in the sentiment, which in
significance of painting among the French is not in the least insipid, but this
individual mark of his distinguishes him from the crowd.”88 Czachowska
claims that Pankiewicz’s paintmg and the two drawings by Boznańska were
sold in Warsaw’s Dom Sztuki in 1923.89
Zapolska wrote her last article about Gaugum’s art and that of the Nabis
in 1901, in which she once again attempted to describe the sources of
inspiration and the conceptual assumptions of this group. She continued to
criticise academie art for its fictional ąuality, its departure from naturę, and its
84 Dąbrowski, op. cit.
85 Biuletyn Domu Sztuki, II, April 1, 1923, item 61. It was tempera on canvas, signed and dated:
P. Ranson, avril 92.
86 Cf. fn. 62.
87 “Obrazy M. Peszkego na wystawie Niezależnych w Paryżu” in Publicystyka, op. cit., II, pp. 263-
-64; “Malarstwo Niezależnych”, “Listy”, III, in Publicystyka, op. cit., II, pp. 379, 380-81.
88 “Obrazy M. Peszkego”, op. cit., p. 263.
89 Czachowska, Gabriela Zapolska, op. cit., 333.
134
of the works from her collection in the background, it is easy to discern the
smali Female Nudę Viewed from Behind by Seurat. In the upper left corner is
the fragment of a larger composition with fiat, winding arabesąue forms,
known as a work by Paul Ranson. Zapolska had one work by this artist in her
possession, mentioned in both exhibition catalogues as Panneau decoratif and
described by Dąbrowski in Nowa Reforma: “Ranson brings to the Decoratiue
Panel life transferred from Japanese paintmg of long ago b--]”S4 The painting
was exhibited at auction in Warsaw’s Dom Sztuki on April 12, 1923 as the
work of Ranson, but found no purchasers.8' “Ranson, the most Japanese” of
all the Nabis, studied in the Parisian Academie Julian beginning in 1888, where
he met Serusier, Denis, Bonnard, Vuillard, Roussell and Ibels, and with whom
in the futurę he would create the Nabis. It was in his Paris apartment, which
they called the tempie, that their meetings and discussions took place. Ranson,
much morę than the rest of the group, was interested in decorative art, and
eagerly created stage sets as well as wallpaper, screens, and clothing fabrics.
In the photograph previously mentioned there is probably one of the lost
canvasses of Serusier and possibly the already mentioned work by Pissarro,
which however is not Bois de Boulogne.
Zapolska also owned works by Polish artists. At the exhibitions in Cracow
and Lwów she displayed works by Pankiewicz, Buckwheat in Bloom, Jan
Mirosław Peszke’s Melancboly, as well as two drawings by Boznańska,
described as studies.84 85 86 87 88 All of these works have disappeared. Zapolska tried to
help Polish artists working in France. She was interested not only in Pankiewicz
and Podkowiński, but also the many flattering opinions voiced about Peszke.8
“Peszke’s works carry the superb mark of an enlivened autonomy. Rejecting
the dirty tones and weak drawing practised by the entire so-called Paris
academicians, this young artist is trying out his wings and creates fascinating
things, elear, fuli of light and space, not lacking in the sentiment, which in
significance of painting among the French is not in the least insipid, but this
individual mark of his distinguishes him from the crowd.”88 Czachowska
claims that Pankiewicz’s paintmg and the two drawings by Boznańska were
sold in Warsaw’s Dom Sztuki in 1923.89
Zapolska wrote her last article about Gaugum’s art and that of the Nabis
in 1901, in which she once again attempted to describe the sources of
inspiration and the conceptual assumptions of this group. She continued to
criticise academie art for its fictional ąuality, its departure from naturę, and its
84 Dąbrowski, op. cit.
85 Biuletyn Domu Sztuki, II, April 1, 1923, item 61. It was tempera on canvas, signed and dated:
P. Ranson, avril 92.
86 Cf. fn. 62.
87 “Obrazy M. Peszkego na wystawie Niezależnych w Paryżu” in Publicystyka, op. cit., II, pp. 263-
-64; “Malarstwo Niezależnych”, “Listy”, III, in Publicystyka, op. cit., II, pp. 379, 380-81.
88 “Obrazy M. Peszkego”, op. cit., p. 263.
89 Czachowska, Gabriela Zapolska, op. cit., 333.
134