DOI article:
Wójcik, Agata: Inspiracje sztuką ludową w meblarstwie artystów kręgu Towarzystwa Polska Sztuka Stosowana
Citation link:https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/modus2020/0234
possible.”26 One - but not the only one - of these sources was meant to be
folk art.
From the beginning of the Societys activity, its members disseminated in
print their opinions about folk art, its importance, and drawing from it. The
aim of collecting and studying folk art was not so much to look for interest-
ing decorative motifs, but to facilitate the recognition of the naturę of Polish
art, because, as it was believed, the early Polish, primary artistic elements sur-
vived in folk art. Trojanowski wrote that being surrounded by folk art makes
it easier to get to know the “character of Polish land, to feel and enter into
it.”27 In his opinion, the artists from the tpss circle wanted “freedom to create
[...] the art that is comprehensible to the Polish soul and worthy of the love
of our hearts.”28 It was precisely this striving for “rebirth” that turned the eyes
of artists towards folk art, because “in it we felt the brotherhood, the affinity
of man with naturę.”29 According to Trojanowski, folk art is characterized
by the distinctiveness of colour and linę, because it has not been tainted by
foreign influences, as the country folk were reluctant and reserved towards
everything foreign.30
The designer also pointed out that a contemporary artist should be inspired
by the creative attitude and ideals of a folk artist who knows no limitations and
looks for motifs “in that which surrounds [him - A.W.], and that which his heart
and eyes hołd dearest.”31 Trojanowski believed that “the peasant had always felt
himself to be an organie part of naturę” and had a soul fuli of “adoration for
strange wonders of naturę.”32 That is why his art is fuli of sincerity and freedom;
it is great and inspiring. Folk art is “tears and laughter, tragedy and joy, it is de-
light, revenge, rebellion, it is a powerful symptom of every reflex of the soul,”33
as he wrote. This is also what Polish art should become, and its motto “should
be: love and nobleness, simplicity and strength, [because - A.W.] this motto was
once a guide to the Polish soul, and through such art this powerful, old Polish
art may be revived.”34 Although the folk artist lacks technical skills, this allows
him to simplify the form and stylize the ornamentation. Folk art is created to
make the artist happy, which is why it is permeated with sincerity, freedom and
ease, while non-folk artists rarely create “out of the need to enjoy their lives,”
their art “is morę often artificial.”35 Trojanowski appealed to them: “let us learn
from [folk artists - A.W.] how to create, let us learn to observe naturę in this
strangely beautiful and simple, unsophisticated way; like them, let us look for
patterns from our immediate surroundings, but let us not merely derive from
their creations. By gluing the borrowed details together, we do not create anything
original until we are able to produce a distinct form, and we do so because we
26 Katalog wystawy nowożytnych tkanin, p. 42.
27 E. Trojanowski, Głos z obozu. O sztuce stosowanej, “Gazeta Polska”, 1902, no. 23, p. 1.
28 Idem, Sztuka i lud, “Tygodnik Ilustrowany”, 1902, no. 42, pp. 826-827.
29 Ibidem.
30 Idem, Pierwsza wystawa Towarzystwa “Polska sztuka stosowana”,“Czas”, 1902, no. 25, pp. 1-2.
31 Ibidem.
32 Idem, Sztuka i lud, pp. 826-827.
33 Ibidem.
34 Idem, Pierwsza wystawa Towarzystwa, pp. 1-2.
35 BASPKr., tw, ref. 20029, p. 59, E. Trojanowski, List z Warszawy z powodu wystawy sztuki stoso-
wanej, “Słowo Polskie”, 1902.
234
ARTICLES
Agata Wójcik
folk art.
From the beginning of the Societys activity, its members disseminated in
print their opinions about folk art, its importance, and drawing from it. The
aim of collecting and studying folk art was not so much to look for interest-
ing decorative motifs, but to facilitate the recognition of the naturę of Polish
art, because, as it was believed, the early Polish, primary artistic elements sur-
vived in folk art. Trojanowski wrote that being surrounded by folk art makes
it easier to get to know the “character of Polish land, to feel and enter into
it.”27 In his opinion, the artists from the tpss circle wanted “freedom to create
[...] the art that is comprehensible to the Polish soul and worthy of the love
of our hearts.”28 It was precisely this striving for “rebirth” that turned the eyes
of artists towards folk art, because “in it we felt the brotherhood, the affinity
of man with naturę.”29 According to Trojanowski, folk art is characterized
by the distinctiveness of colour and linę, because it has not been tainted by
foreign influences, as the country folk were reluctant and reserved towards
everything foreign.30
The designer also pointed out that a contemporary artist should be inspired
by the creative attitude and ideals of a folk artist who knows no limitations and
looks for motifs “in that which surrounds [him - A.W.], and that which his heart
and eyes hołd dearest.”31 Trojanowski believed that “the peasant had always felt
himself to be an organie part of naturę” and had a soul fuli of “adoration for
strange wonders of naturę.”32 That is why his art is fuli of sincerity and freedom;
it is great and inspiring. Folk art is “tears and laughter, tragedy and joy, it is de-
light, revenge, rebellion, it is a powerful symptom of every reflex of the soul,”33
as he wrote. This is also what Polish art should become, and its motto “should
be: love and nobleness, simplicity and strength, [because - A.W.] this motto was
once a guide to the Polish soul, and through such art this powerful, old Polish
art may be revived.”34 Although the folk artist lacks technical skills, this allows
him to simplify the form and stylize the ornamentation. Folk art is created to
make the artist happy, which is why it is permeated with sincerity, freedom and
ease, while non-folk artists rarely create “out of the need to enjoy their lives,”
their art “is morę often artificial.”35 Trojanowski appealed to them: “let us learn
from [folk artists - A.W.] how to create, let us learn to observe naturę in this
strangely beautiful and simple, unsophisticated way; like them, let us look for
patterns from our immediate surroundings, but let us not merely derive from
their creations. By gluing the borrowed details together, we do not create anything
original until we are able to produce a distinct form, and we do so because we
26 Katalog wystawy nowożytnych tkanin, p. 42.
27 E. Trojanowski, Głos z obozu. O sztuce stosowanej, “Gazeta Polska”, 1902, no. 23, p. 1.
28 Idem, Sztuka i lud, “Tygodnik Ilustrowany”, 1902, no. 42, pp. 826-827.
29 Ibidem.
30 Idem, Pierwsza wystawa Towarzystwa “Polska sztuka stosowana”,“Czas”, 1902, no. 25, pp. 1-2.
31 Ibidem.
32 Idem, Sztuka i lud, pp. 826-827.
33 Ibidem.
34 Idem, Pierwsza wystawa Towarzystwa, pp. 1-2.
35 BASPKr., tw, ref. 20029, p. 59, E. Trojanowski, List z Warszawy z powodu wystawy sztuki stoso-
wanej, “Słowo Polskie”, 1902.
234
ARTICLES
Agata Wójcik