DOI Artikel:
Zuziak, Iwona; Zinkow, Leszek: "Dom Egipski" w Krakowie: Przykład "egiptomanii" w architekturze polskiej
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19070#0061
have proposed his design to Kulesza. We do not know what other interests in "Egyptology"
they may have had. We cannot even assume that, as a resource of architectural ideas, they
referenced contemporaneous scientific works, sińce a knowledge of lithographs from
the Brockhaus Encyclopaedia or Meyer's Lexicon then widely circulated in Central and
Eastern Europę would have sufficed. In addition to depicting entire monuments and scenes
these prints presented a multitude of details: columns, cornices, capitals, pillars, decorative
motifs, and even representations of gods and kings.
Only rwo photographs documenting the outdoor view of the House before its
remodelling have been discovered. The first, which even appeared as a postcard, shows
the entire building. It dates from a time just after completion of construction, definitely not
later than the first decade of the 20th century. The second photograph, dated 1917, depicts
only the right side of the faęade. These two photographs relay to us important information:
first of all they prove that the project was realized, and secondly reveal unusual additions.
First-floor window posts were added with fuli - size human figures - the most important
modification. Unfortunately, the poor ąuality of the pictures does not allow us to
distinguish details, but the Egyptian format of several dozen statues (probably around 50)
is unąuestionable: the crossed arms of some of them remind us of statuę pillars (so-called
Osirides). Looking at the earlier photograph we can notice that the exterior polychromy is
richer than that provided for by the design.
Today only a few traces remain of the former "Egyptian House"; wooden doors, both
at the main entrance door in Retoryka Street and on the Smoleńsk side, attract the attention
of passers-by; they contain reliefs of lotus and papyrus stalks and winged solar disks with
uraeuses. The two most impressive reminders of the "Egyptian" times of this house are two
preserved "pharaoh" statues that have been removed from the portals. Their iconography
is unequivocally "Egyptianizing"; the faces, adorned with ceremoniał beards, are backed
by the shrouds of nemeses, who in turn are adorned with crowns fuli of elements at best
only loosely linked to Egyptian symbolism, like stylized feathers, horns, and a sun disk.
As mentioned before, the "Egyptian House" has not been discussed in the literaturę on
the Egyptian Revival Style or "Egyptomania". Yet this uniąue manifestation of the Polish
(and European) "Egyptianizing style'" deserves an adeąuate mention in this context.
57
they may have had. We cannot even assume that, as a resource of architectural ideas, they
referenced contemporaneous scientific works, sińce a knowledge of lithographs from
the Brockhaus Encyclopaedia or Meyer's Lexicon then widely circulated in Central and
Eastern Europę would have sufficed. In addition to depicting entire monuments and scenes
these prints presented a multitude of details: columns, cornices, capitals, pillars, decorative
motifs, and even representations of gods and kings.
Only rwo photographs documenting the outdoor view of the House before its
remodelling have been discovered. The first, which even appeared as a postcard, shows
the entire building. It dates from a time just after completion of construction, definitely not
later than the first decade of the 20th century. The second photograph, dated 1917, depicts
only the right side of the faęade. These two photographs relay to us important information:
first of all they prove that the project was realized, and secondly reveal unusual additions.
First-floor window posts were added with fuli - size human figures - the most important
modification. Unfortunately, the poor ąuality of the pictures does not allow us to
distinguish details, but the Egyptian format of several dozen statues (probably around 50)
is unąuestionable: the crossed arms of some of them remind us of statuę pillars (so-called
Osirides). Looking at the earlier photograph we can notice that the exterior polychromy is
richer than that provided for by the design.
Today only a few traces remain of the former "Egyptian House"; wooden doors, both
at the main entrance door in Retoryka Street and on the Smoleńsk side, attract the attention
of passers-by; they contain reliefs of lotus and papyrus stalks and winged solar disks with
uraeuses. The two most impressive reminders of the "Egyptian" times of this house are two
preserved "pharaoh" statues that have been removed from the portals. Their iconography
is unequivocally "Egyptianizing"; the faces, adorned with ceremoniał beards, are backed
by the shrouds of nemeses, who in turn are adorned with crowns fuli of elements at best
only loosely linked to Egyptian symbolism, like stylized feathers, horns, and a sun disk.
As mentioned before, the "Egyptian House" has not been discussed in the literaturę on
the Egyptian Revival Style or "Egyptomania". Yet this uniąue manifestation of the Polish
(and European) "Egyptianizing style'" deserves an adeąuate mention in this context.
57