Modus: Prace z historii sztuki (18.2018)

3. Ludwik Wojtyczko, the
smaller dining hall at the

Stary Teatr in Kraków,
photo from the collections

of the Cabinet of Engravings
of the Academy of Fine Arts
in Kraków.

4. Ludwik Wojtyczko, the
smaller dining hall in the
Stary Teatr in Kraków,
photo from the collections
of the Cabinet of Engravings
of the Academy of Fine Arts
in Kraków.
-> see p.126
5. Ludwik Wojtyczko, an
armchair from the smaller
dining hall in the Stary Teatr
in Kraków, photo from the
collections of the Cabinet of
Engravings of the Academy
of Fine Arts in Kraków.
-> see p.127

well known, using the preserved photographs. The surviving pictures show only
the top part of the sideboard. Two drawers were placed under the top, and the set-
ting was divided into three levels (three arcades), then three closed cabinets with
doors, of which the side doors were glazed; the cabinets were separated from each
other by columns, and in the finial, the designer placed three arched glass panels.
Already in this piece of furniture - in its decorations and structural elements - we
can see two sources of Trojanowski s inspiration. One was folk crafts and architec-
ture, and the other, furniture of the Biedermeier era. The wooden arcades make
a reference to the local wooden architecture, while the fittings on the central door
of the high board, shaped like stylized branches, derive from folk ornaments (for
example, from decorations on painted chests). The edge of the finial, in the form
of rounded serration, has similar connotations. In contrast, the Biedermeier inspi-
ration can be seen in the columns, in muntins dividing the glazing panels, as well
as in the combination of two colours of wood (oak and mahogany). The buffet
makes a reference to the sideboard - in both pieces, Trojanowski has assembled
two kinds of wood and used columns, and also added morę ornaments originating
from folk art - such as stars and friezes with undulating lines. Larger tables in the
photographs are covered with tablecloths, and therefore we can only suspect that
they were designed in a way similar to smaller tables, which have a very simple
structure, and are almost completely devoid of ornaments. Not much can be said
about the benches placed along the walls. They probably referred to the shapes of
the chairs, of which two types have been designed - one simplified, and the other
with armrests and a padded seats. Both are modelled on the Hamburg type chair
with a frame construction, with openwork back, with a bent backward bar, topping
the backrest, and with armrests curved forward. Trojanowski gave up only the bent
sabre legs, in favour of the straight ones. Also in this piece of furniture, folk motifs
are visible - the crossbars of the backrest are decorated with a symmetrical motif
of stylized branches, which has already appeared in the sideboard, and the profile
of the chairs is finished with an undulating linę, reminiscent of aprons hanging
under the profiles of folk chests. Padded seats of chairs and benches were given
a dark red colour, related to the colour of mahogany. By contrast, the panelling
was painted greenish-blue, and above it, an ornamental frieze was placed on the
white walls, inspired by brass bells pinned to the belts in the Kraków folk costume,
and coloured in blue and gold. The room was lit by sconces, and also by attractive
electric chandeliers, hung on chains, madę of openwork patterns cut out of sheet
metal, with exposed bulbs. The contemporaries found this arrangement calm and
serious, contrasting with the other rooms.9
The room designed by Trojanowski led to a smaller restaurant room of Wojtycz-
kos design (see: Fig. 3-5). The latter artist also had to cope with the arrangement of
a limited and not too well lit a space. Wojtyczko tried to make the most of the space,
therefore he set the tables along the walls, and he also designed a corner sofa with
a very simple form. The artist managed to overcome successive further obstacles.
The radiator placed next to the door was equipped with a cabinet, the radiator
itself was covered with a metal, decorative curtain, and the headboard was fitted
with glass cabinets and a clock. Similarly as Trojanowski, Wojtyczko designed two
types of chairs for the interior - one with a wooden seat and a backrest, and the

9 Stary Teatr, pp. 1-2.

140 ARTICLES

Agata Wójcik