DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31381#0017
THE HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COLLECTION
15
Maria Kowalska, the widow of Leon, donated a huge collection of works by her late
husband, a portraitist held in high esteem in the inter-war period.
In 1957 the National Museum in Cracow received a gift of tremendous
artistic value, containing the works by Olga Boznanska — her paintings, sketches and
sketch-book, as well as easel, palette and personal remembrances. Boznanska, in her
youth related to Cracow, assigned her artistic output to this city, selecting the National
Museum as the place of their preservation. After the artist’s death in Paris in 1940, her
faithful and devoted friends: Stanislawa Strzemboszowa, born Kraszewska, and Aniela
Jastrz^bowska - Lewandowska took upon themselves the execution of Olga’s last will.
The latter declared in her own last will, written down in Paris in 1953:1 bequeath to the
Museum of Art in Cracow — Poland — all the works, drawings, painted Bristol boards
and sketch-books, at present kept in the furniture storehouse, and being the legacy of
Miss Boznanska. The set handed down to the Museum included 38 paintings of the
supreme value, a priceless document of the author’s workshop and artistic personality.
The collection of Olga Boznahska’s works was later enlarged on several occasions owing
to the generosity of the donors. Among others, some paintings by this excellent artist
were offered by Julia Ginzberg from Paris in 1971 and by Karol Godlewski
from London in 1980.
Zbigniew Pronaszko donated a huge complex of his own works,
ultimately taken over by the Museum in 1960. The artist voiced his intention of making
a donation already in 1955, in the letter addressed to the Museum’s Management:
I have decided to give the National Museum in Cracow as an offering a part of my artistic
creation, that is one hundred paintings, sculptures, water-colours and drawings, to be
found in my flat. The official contract of 1955, signed between the artist and the
Museum, comprises the list of offered objects, with the proviso that the donor would use
them for life. The additional fourteen paintings Pronaszko bequeathed in his last will of
1958. The set of almost 120 pictures by Pronaszko, well-considered and carefully
selected with the active participation of Helena Blum, at that time the head of the
department of modern Polish art in the Museum, demonstrates all the currents in the
painter’s creation, from the period that preceded his connections with the Polish
Expressionists to colourism as the last phase in his life.
In the 1960’s the Museum added to its possessions consecutive sets of
paintings by single artists. In 1966 Jozefa P i k o r donated the works of her late husband,
Stefan, while in 1968 Janina Jablonska handed over the pictures by her late
husband, Mieszko. In the same year the K a m i e n s k i family donated a couple of works
by Jacek Malczewski, and Wiktor Gutowski his own creations.
Other important enrichment of the Museum’s collections became a set
of dozen or so paintings by Sasza Blondel, displayed earlier at the monographic
exhibition organized by the National Museum and offered in 1971 by the artist’s widow,
Louise Peyre - Blondel, as well as some paintings by Tadeusz Makowski, acquired in
1972 from the donation of Rozalia Hammer from Paris. In 1985 Janina S are gave the
Museum some portraits by Alfons Karpinski. In 1994 an outstanding historian,
Professor Henryk Batowski, donated the works of his father, StanislawKaczor-Batowski.
Numerous gifts of individual paintings enriched — sometimes essentially — the
Museum collections with valuable exhibits. The collection of funds for the new building
15
Maria Kowalska, the widow of Leon, donated a huge collection of works by her late
husband, a portraitist held in high esteem in the inter-war period.
In 1957 the National Museum in Cracow received a gift of tremendous
artistic value, containing the works by Olga Boznanska — her paintings, sketches and
sketch-book, as well as easel, palette and personal remembrances. Boznanska, in her
youth related to Cracow, assigned her artistic output to this city, selecting the National
Museum as the place of their preservation. After the artist’s death in Paris in 1940, her
faithful and devoted friends: Stanislawa Strzemboszowa, born Kraszewska, and Aniela
Jastrz^bowska - Lewandowska took upon themselves the execution of Olga’s last will.
The latter declared in her own last will, written down in Paris in 1953:1 bequeath to the
Museum of Art in Cracow — Poland — all the works, drawings, painted Bristol boards
and sketch-books, at present kept in the furniture storehouse, and being the legacy of
Miss Boznanska. The set handed down to the Museum included 38 paintings of the
supreme value, a priceless document of the author’s workshop and artistic personality.
The collection of Olga Boznahska’s works was later enlarged on several occasions owing
to the generosity of the donors. Among others, some paintings by this excellent artist
were offered by Julia Ginzberg from Paris in 1971 and by Karol Godlewski
from London in 1980.
Zbigniew Pronaszko donated a huge complex of his own works,
ultimately taken over by the Museum in 1960. The artist voiced his intention of making
a donation already in 1955, in the letter addressed to the Museum’s Management:
I have decided to give the National Museum in Cracow as an offering a part of my artistic
creation, that is one hundred paintings, sculptures, water-colours and drawings, to be
found in my flat. The official contract of 1955, signed between the artist and the
Museum, comprises the list of offered objects, with the proviso that the donor would use
them for life. The additional fourteen paintings Pronaszko bequeathed in his last will of
1958. The set of almost 120 pictures by Pronaszko, well-considered and carefully
selected with the active participation of Helena Blum, at that time the head of the
department of modern Polish art in the Museum, demonstrates all the currents in the
painter’s creation, from the period that preceded his connections with the Polish
Expressionists to colourism as the last phase in his life.
In the 1960’s the Museum added to its possessions consecutive sets of
paintings by single artists. In 1966 Jozefa P i k o r donated the works of her late husband,
Stefan, while in 1968 Janina Jablonska handed over the pictures by her late
husband, Mieszko. In the same year the K a m i e n s k i family donated a couple of works
by Jacek Malczewski, and Wiktor Gutowski his own creations.
Other important enrichment of the Museum’s collections became a set
of dozen or so paintings by Sasza Blondel, displayed earlier at the monographic
exhibition organized by the National Museum and offered in 1971 by the artist’s widow,
Louise Peyre - Blondel, as well as some paintings by Tadeusz Makowski, acquired in
1972 from the donation of Rozalia Hammer from Paris. In 1985 Janina S are gave the
Museum some portraits by Alfons Karpinski. In 1994 an outstanding historian,
Professor Henryk Batowski, donated the works of his father, StanislawKaczor-Batowski.
Numerous gifts of individual paintings enriched — sometimes essentially — the
Museum collections with valuable exhibits. The collection of funds for the new building