DOI Artikel:
Wójcik, Agata: „Myśl artystyczna”, która przeniknęła do „knajp”: Wnętrza restauracyjne w Starym Teatrze w Krakowie projektu artystów związanych z Towarzystwem Polska Sztuka Stosowana
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44918#0146
in polychrome paintings and kilim tapestries in the interiors designed by Dąbrowa,
or in the details of Tchaikovsky s furniture. Since the beginning of its activity, the
tpss had supported and promoted folk art - both the Kraków and the Warsaw
exhibitions, presented in 1902, were largely devoted thereto. The Society was ac-
cumulating a collection that documented folk crafts, and also their magazine titled
“Materiały tpss” (“tpss Materials”) presented folk crafts and wooden architecture.
In wider circles, the tpss soon began to be associated with folk art, first and fore-
most. To the point that a statement was repeated that “the pursuit of the ‘Polish
applied art’ is to mould the entire relevant branch of artistic creation into the form
of folk motifs.”20 However, theoreticians and designers associated with the tpss
did not aim to create a style that would only be a compilation of folk motifs from
different regions of Poland. As Trojanowski had written, being surrounded with
folk art was intended to facilitate getting to know the “character of Polish land, to
feel its pulse”; the contemporary creator should be inspired above all things by the
attitude of the folk artist and his ideals - sincerity, simplicity, and strength.21 Chief
theoretician of the tpss, Jerzy Warchałowski, believed that folk art was a “fabulous
world of colours, a whole wealth of decorative ideas” that brought “the unexpected
power of new values for art, new thoughts, hopes and forebodings”.22 It was meant
to create an atmosphere that would foster “awakening [...] of the national instinct
in creative artists whose works, though seemingly unlike folk art, will be spiritu-
ally a hundred times morę related thereto than dry compilations of motifs with
folk themes”.23 As it had already been reported in the Society s Report for the year
1903, “the slavish imitation of these beautiful folk motifs, sometimes simply daz-
zling in their freshness, will not take us any further; even the skilful development
and proficient use of this art is not quite the only way to go - albeit possible and
beneficial; however, only independent, creative work, infused with talent, avoid-
ing ready templates and foreign designs, can give the Polish art and craft industry
what it needs: the form, the colour, and the decoration”.24 Folk art, on the other
hand, should be “only a science and a command that we must create independently,
think with our own thoughts, and seek inspiration in our own soul”, whereas we
should condemn “blind and dishonest imitation”.25 There is no blind copying of
folk motifs in the Stary Teatr s restaurant interiors. The designers drew from the
folk crafts, borrowing some furniture elements and decorative motifs, but they
processed them, stylized them and combined them with other inspirations, thus
creating a whole new quality.
The second inspiration, particularly visible in the way furniture was designed,
was the Biedermeier style. It is noticeable in the Stary Teatr, in the designs by Tro-
janowski and Czajkowski. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Bieder-
meier drew the attention of designers, including those from the circle of the Wiener
Werkstatte, who were fascinated by its simplicity of form and its functionality. For
20 A. Chołoniewski, Polska Sztuka Stosowana, “Świat”, 1906, issue 9, pp. 14-16
21 E. Trojanowski, Pierwsza wystawa Towarzystwa „Polska sztuka stosowana”, “Czas”, 1902, issue 25,
pp. 1-2.
22 J. Warchałowski, O sztuce stosowanej, “Czas”, 1904, issue 131, pp. 1-2.
23 Idem, Polska sztuka dekoracyjna. Warszawa 1928, p. 18.
24 11. sprawozdanie Towarzystwa „Polska Sztuka Stosowana” w Krakowie 1903, Kraków 1904, p. 6.
25 J. Warchałowski, O sztuce stosowanej, “Czas”, 1904, issue 131, pp. 1-2; idem, O sztuce stosowanej,
“Czas”, 1904, issue 132, pp. 1-2.
144
ARTICLES
Agata Wójcik
or in the details of Tchaikovsky s furniture. Since the beginning of its activity, the
tpss had supported and promoted folk art - both the Kraków and the Warsaw
exhibitions, presented in 1902, were largely devoted thereto. The Society was ac-
cumulating a collection that documented folk crafts, and also their magazine titled
“Materiały tpss” (“tpss Materials”) presented folk crafts and wooden architecture.
In wider circles, the tpss soon began to be associated with folk art, first and fore-
most. To the point that a statement was repeated that “the pursuit of the ‘Polish
applied art’ is to mould the entire relevant branch of artistic creation into the form
of folk motifs.”20 However, theoreticians and designers associated with the tpss
did not aim to create a style that would only be a compilation of folk motifs from
different regions of Poland. As Trojanowski had written, being surrounded with
folk art was intended to facilitate getting to know the “character of Polish land, to
feel its pulse”; the contemporary creator should be inspired above all things by the
attitude of the folk artist and his ideals - sincerity, simplicity, and strength.21 Chief
theoretician of the tpss, Jerzy Warchałowski, believed that folk art was a “fabulous
world of colours, a whole wealth of decorative ideas” that brought “the unexpected
power of new values for art, new thoughts, hopes and forebodings”.22 It was meant
to create an atmosphere that would foster “awakening [...] of the national instinct
in creative artists whose works, though seemingly unlike folk art, will be spiritu-
ally a hundred times morę related thereto than dry compilations of motifs with
folk themes”.23 As it had already been reported in the Society s Report for the year
1903, “the slavish imitation of these beautiful folk motifs, sometimes simply daz-
zling in their freshness, will not take us any further; even the skilful development
and proficient use of this art is not quite the only way to go - albeit possible and
beneficial; however, only independent, creative work, infused with talent, avoid-
ing ready templates and foreign designs, can give the Polish art and craft industry
what it needs: the form, the colour, and the decoration”.24 Folk art, on the other
hand, should be “only a science and a command that we must create independently,
think with our own thoughts, and seek inspiration in our own soul”, whereas we
should condemn “blind and dishonest imitation”.25 There is no blind copying of
folk motifs in the Stary Teatr s restaurant interiors. The designers drew from the
folk crafts, borrowing some furniture elements and decorative motifs, but they
processed them, stylized them and combined them with other inspirations, thus
creating a whole new quality.
The second inspiration, particularly visible in the way furniture was designed,
was the Biedermeier style. It is noticeable in the Stary Teatr, in the designs by Tro-
janowski and Czajkowski. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Bieder-
meier drew the attention of designers, including those from the circle of the Wiener
Werkstatte, who were fascinated by its simplicity of form and its functionality. For
20 A. Chołoniewski, Polska Sztuka Stosowana, “Świat”, 1906, issue 9, pp. 14-16
21 E. Trojanowski, Pierwsza wystawa Towarzystwa „Polska sztuka stosowana”, “Czas”, 1902, issue 25,
pp. 1-2.
22 J. Warchałowski, O sztuce stosowanej, “Czas”, 1904, issue 131, pp. 1-2.
23 Idem, Polska sztuka dekoracyjna. Warszawa 1928, p. 18.
24 11. sprawozdanie Towarzystwa „Polska Sztuka Stosowana” w Krakowie 1903, Kraków 1904, p. 6.
25 J. Warchałowski, O sztuce stosowanej, “Czas”, 1904, issue 131, pp. 1-2; idem, O sztuce stosowanej,
“Czas”, 1904, issue 132, pp. 1-2.
144
ARTICLES
Agata Wójcik