DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29195#0134
paintings which he managed to procurefrom time to time. I remember seeing huge can-
vasses there, “Christ before Pilate” by the Hungarian Munkdcsy; “Hus on trial before
the Emperor Sigismund” by the Czech Brozik; and Vereshchagin’s cycle on Napoleon’s
retreatfrom Moscow. All these paintings, mostly on historical subjects, which were the
most appreciated at the time, attracted large audiences. But once Gracjan elicited a
great rough when he exhibited a painting by Marceli Suchorowski showing Nana, the
heroine ofEmile Zola’s famous novel. The fair courtesan wasportrayed nude, “in her
birthday suit”, reclining on a leopard skin with one knee slightly raised. The figure was
illuminated all the time with artificial light to amplify the undoubtedly slightly por-
nographic ejfect. Visitors viewed it from the depths of a darkened corridor. The public
outcry contributed to the exhibition being taken ojf earlier than planned, and the school
authoritiesprohibited its viewing by pupils (Baliriski p. 155).
Baliriski, who recorded his recollections many years later, seems to have got the
chronology of the exhibitions wrong. Except for the Suchorowski, all the other
canvasses he mentions were put on display in the gallery when it was in the hands
of the Zach^ta Society. But let’s return to the 1881—1882 interval.
Henryk Struve was another contemporary who commented on Unger’s exhibit-
ing policy and his problems following the presentation of “Nana”: After the display
of Matejko’s “Prussian Homage” there was such a big slump in Mr. Unger’s exhibition
that he had to resort to special measures ofarousal, such as Suchorowski's “Nana”and
Makart’s “Leda” to get thepublic to visit his gallery. It is not a very encouraging symp-
tom, nor a sign ofa dignified treatment of art. Regardless ofall the doctrinaire points
ofview, we cannot but acknowledge that counting on the excitement of or appeal to the
lowest human instincts does not befit the dignity and aim ofart. Even ifthesepaintings
were to come up to the standards of artistic quality of Raphael's “Graces”, Titian’s and
Palma the Elder’s “Venuses”, the “Ledas” of Leonardo and Paolo Veronese, or Titian
and Correggio’s “Ios”— even then we should have to callall manner of attracting a large
public by resorting to such subjects an undignified abuse ofart. From the point of view
of the dignity ofart andpublic decency there is an essential dijference between exhibit-
ing this kind ofpicture in a gallery or museum among numerous other works ofbeauty,
in a place where artworks are viewed chiefly fior aesthetic reasons, and displaying it in
a separate show and usingposters to bring in not only art lovers but all and sundry, ex-
citable by the very nature ofthe item and its lasciviousness, irrespectively ofits artistic
appreciation. This is an approach entailing motives which are in conflict not only with
art itself, but also with a serious attitude to civic duty. For under no circumstances is it
ever right to exploit Man’s low instincts. As regards the artistic quality of these paint-
ings, Ishall only say that “Leda”is one ofMakart’s earliest, student works, anddoes not
aspire to a high level of artistry. Suchorowski’s “Nana” is but a technicalploy usedfor
the purpose of endowing the presented body with the qualities ofa waxfigure. It has to
be admitted that he achieved thispurpose. The dark background, along with the body’s
hot complexion, and the diffusion of the source oflight in thepicture itself along with its
removal to beyond the canvas, all work to accomplish the intended optical illusion. But
the illusion in itself, coupled with a completely inaestheticpose and an uncultivatedfa-
cial expression, bereft not only of dignity but also of the simple, harmonious beauty ofthe
feminine face, cannot endow the composition with a genuine artistic quality. In their
works on similar subjects the above-cited Italian masters never forsook their respect for
womankind. They presentedfemale nudes to demonstrate the full beauty oftheir body;
even sensual love was no stranger to their women; however, none ofthem presumed to
vasses there, “Christ before Pilate” by the Hungarian Munkdcsy; “Hus on trial before
the Emperor Sigismund” by the Czech Brozik; and Vereshchagin’s cycle on Napoleon’s
retreatfrom Moscow. All these paintings, mostly on historical subjects, which were the
most appreciated at the time, attracted large audiences. But once Gracjan elicited a
great rough when he exhibited a painting by Marceli Suchorowski showing Nana, the
heroine ofEmile Zola’s famous novel. The fair courtesan wasportrayed nude, “in her
birthday suit”, reclining on a leopard skin with one knee slightly raised. The figure was
illuminated all the time with artificial light to amplify the undoubtedly slightly por-
nographic ejfect. Visitors viewed it from the depths of a darkened corridor. The public
outcry contributed to the exhibition being taken ojf earlier than planned, and the school
authoritiesprohibited its viewing by pupils (Baliriski p. 155).
Baliriski, who recorded his recollections many years later, seems to have got the
chronology of the exhibitions wrong. Except for the Suchorowski, all the other
canvasses he mentions were put on display in the gallery when it was in the hands
of the Zach^ta Society. But let’s return to the 1881—1882 interval.
Henryk Struve was another contemporary who commented on Unger’s exhibit-
ing policy and his problems following the presentation of “Nana”: After the display
of Matejko’s “Prussian Homage” there was such a big slump in Mr. Unger’s exhibition
that he had to resort to special measures ofarousal, such as Suchorowski's “Nana”and
Makart’s “Leda” to get thepublic to visit his gallery. It is not a very encouraging symp-
tom, nor a sign ofa dignified treatment of art. Regardless ofall the doctrinaire points
ofview, we cannot but acknowledge that counting on the excitement of or appeal to the
lowest human instincts does not befit the dignity and aim ofart. Even ifthesepaintings
were to come up to the standards of artistic quality of Raphael's “Graces”, Titian’s and
Palma the Elder’s “Venuses”, the “Ledas” of Leonardo and Paolo Veronese, or Titian
and Correggio’s “Ios”— even then we should have to callall manner of attracting a large
public by resorting to such subjects an undignified abuse ofart. From the point of view
of the dignity ofart andpublic decency there is an essential dijference between exhibit-
ing this kind ofpicture in a gallery or museum among numerous other works ofbeauty,
in a place where artworks are viewed chiefly fior aesthetic reasons, and displaying it in
a separate show and usingposters to bring in not only art lovers but all and sundry, ex-
citable by the very nature ofthe item and its lasciviousness, irrespectively ofits artistic
appreciation. This is an approach entailing motives which are in conflict not only with
art itself, but also with a serious attitude to civic duty. For under no circumstances is it
ever right to exploit Man’s low instincts. As regards the artistic quality of these paint-
ings, Ishall only say that “Leda”is one ofMakart’s earliest, student works, anddoes not
aspire to a high level of artistry. Suchorowski’s “Nana” is but a technicalploy usedfor
the purpose of endowing the presented body with the qualities ofa waxfigure. It has to
be admitted that he achieved thispurpose. The dark background, along with the body’s
hot complexion, and the diffusion of the source oflight in thepicture itself along with its
removal to beyond the canvas, all work to accomplish the intended optical illusion. But
the illusion in itself, coupled with a completely inaestheticpose and an uncultivatedfa-
cial expression, bereft not only of dignity but also of the simple, harmonious beauty ofthe
feminine face, cannot endow the composition with a genuine artistic quality. In their
works on similar subjects the above-cited Italian masters never forsook their respect for
womankind. They presentedfemale nudes to demonstrate the full beauty oftheir body;
even sensual love was no stranger to their women; however, none ofthem presumed to