DOI article:
Wójcik, Agata: Inspiracje sztuką ludową w meblarstwie artystów kręgu Towarzystwa Polska Sztuka Stosowana
Citation link:https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/modus2020/0235
do not fully understand the spirit of this thoroughly homely art.”36 He hoped
that when artists surround themselves with folk art, “perhaps then the blinders
of glory and artifice will be taken from their eyes” whereas “colour, life, strength
and simplicity” will triumph.37
The tpss warned against passive copying of folk motifs. Already the 1903
report on the Society activities read: “to blindly imitate these beautiful folk mo-
tifs, sometimes simply dazzling with their freshness, will not move the matter
forward, not even slightly; not even a skilful development and application of this
art is yet the only way, however possible and beneficial; and only independent,
creative work, the work of talent, avoiding stencils and foreign patterns, can give
the Polish applied arts what they need: form, colour, and ornamentation.”38 Folk
art should be “just a lesson and a command that one should create independently,
think one’s own thoughts, and seek inspiration in one’s own soul.”39 Trojanowski
wrote in a similar vein: “[...] artistic Poland is not the Zakopane cut-outs, not
Łowicz woolens, not Kraków belts. If we were to stop at what the folk art brought
us, we would endlessly go round and round in this tight, enchanted circle.”40
Another time he emphasized that tpss “at the beginning of its work, went down
to a simple peasant hut, to learn there. To learn, but not to steal.”41
With their attitude, the artists of the tpss circle subscribed to the idea of “re-
generating reality,” because they saw in folk art a source of energy that could
empower the development of futurę Polish art, and would allow it to be renewed.
For the Society, folk art was the art of the “other,” a primitive who creates in-
tuitively, truły, honestly, and derives joy from it. At the same time, the Society
approached folk artists in an allochronous way, believing that folk artists live
as if suspended beyond time or historical influences, immersed in immutabil-
ity, strictly in tune with naturę, and with direct access to timeless ideals - love,
sincerity, and simplicity The Society approached folk art as its advocate - they
gathered it, organised its exhibitions, and defended it in the press, but they did
not try to adopt a philanthropic attitude towards it.42
The artists used the lessons learned from their interaction with folk crafts in
various ways. There are examples of creating interiors filled with replicas of folk
furniture, using authentic furnishings from a peasant cottage, as well as instances
of creative use of forms, colours, and ornaments of folk objects. One interior de-
sign project, which reprises the folk elements so faithfully that after many years
it was recognized as the image of the authentic interior of a Bronowice home,
is a work by Włodzimierz Tetmajer. In 1902, the artist presented at the tpss ex-
hibition in Kraków his “idea for a bedroom interior decorated in Kraków style”
(co-authored by Antoni Procajłowicz, see: Fig. 1). He then expanded his concept,
1. Włodzimierz Tetmajer,
interior design for the room
arranged in the “Kraków
style”, 1899. Photo from the
collection of the Ethno-
graphic Museum in Kraków
a see p. 221
36 E. Trojanowski, Sztuka i lud, pp. 826-827.
37 Ibidem.
38 11. sprawozdanie Towarzystwa, p. 6.
39 J. Warchałowski, O sztuce stosowanej, “Czas”, 1904, no. 131, pp. 1-2; idem, O sztuce stosowanej,
“Czas”, 1904, no. 132, pp. 1-2.
40 E. Trojanowski, Pierwsza wystawa Towarzystwa, pp. 1-2.
41 BASPKr., tw, ref. 20029, p. 59, E. Trojanowski, List z Warszawy z powodu wystawy sztuki stoso-
wanej, “Słowo Polskie”, 1902.
42 Compare: E. Klekot, W krainie ludu. “Etno” w polskim dizajnie, “2+3D. Grafika plus produkt”,
2013, no. 46, pp. 79-83; idem, Trwałe obrazy rzeczy ludowych, in: Polska - kraj folkloru?, J. Kojdrak
(ed.), Warszawa 2016, pp. 139-157.
Folk art inspirations in the furniture...
235
that when artists surround themselves with folk art, “perhaps then the blinders
of glory and artifice will be taken from their eyes” whereas “colour, life, strength
and simplicity” will triumph.37
The tpss warned against passive copying of folk motifs. Already the 1903
report on the Society activities read: “to blindly imitate these beautiful folk mo-
tifs, sometimes simply dazzling with their freshness, will not move the matter
forward, not even slightly; not even a skilful development and application of this
art is yet the only way, however possible and beneficial; and only independent,
creative work, the work of talent, avoiding stencils and foreign patterns, can give
the Polish applied arts what they need: form, colour, and ornamentation.”38 Folk
art should be “just a lesson and a command that one should create independently,
think one’s own thoughts, and seek inspiration in one’s own soul.”39 Trojanowski
wrote in a similar vein: “[...] artistic Poland is not the Zakopane cut-outs, not
Łowicz woolens, not Kraków belts. If we were to stop at what the folk art brought
us, we would endlessly go round and round in this tight, enchanted circle.”40
Another time he emphasized that tpss “at the beginning of its work, went down
to a simple peasant hut, to learn there. To learn, but not to steal.”41
With their attitude, the artists of the tpss circle subscribed to the idea of “re-
generating reality,” because they saw in folk art a source of energy that could
empower the development of futurę Polish art, and would allow it to be renewed.
For the Society, folk art was the art of the “other,” a primitive who creates in-
tuitively, truły, honestly, and derives joy from it. At the same time, the Society
approached folk artists in an allochronous way, believing that folk artists live
as if suspended beyond time or historical influences, immersed in immutabil-
ity, strictly in tune with naturę, and with direct access to timeless ideals - love,
sincerity, and simplicity The Society approached folk art as its advocate - they
gathered it, organised its exhibitions, and defended it in the press, but they did
not try to adopt a philanthropic attitude towards it.42
The artists used the lessons learned from their interaction with folk crafts in
various ways. There are examples of creating interiors filled with replicas of folk
furniture, using authentic furnishings from a peasant cottage, as well as instances
of creative use of forms, colours, and ornaments of folk objects. One interior de-
sign project, which reprises the folk elements so faithfully that after many years
it was recognized as the image of the authentic interior of a Bronowice home,
is a work by Włodzimierz Tetmajer. In 1902, the artist presented at the tpss ex-
hibition in Kraków his “idea for a bedroom interior decorated in Kraków style”
(co-authored by Antoni Procajłowicz, see: Fig. 1). He then expanded his concept,
1. Włodzimierz Tetmajer,
interior design for the room
arranged in the “Kraków
style”, 1899. Photo from the
collection of the Ethno-
graphic Museum in Kraków
a see p. 221
36 E. Trojanowski, Sztuka i lud, pp. 826-827.
37 Ibidem.
38 11. sprawozdanie Towarzystwa, p. 6.
39 J. Warchałowski, O sztuce stosowanej, “Czas”, 1904, no. 131, pp. 1-2; idem, O sztuce stosowanej,
“Czas”, 1904, no. 132, pp. 1-2.
40 E. Trojanowski, Pierwsza wystawa Towarzystwa, pp. 1-2.
41 BASPKr., tw, ref. 20029, p. 59, E. Trojanowski, List z Warszawy z powodu wystawy sztuki stoso-
wanej, “Słowo Polskie”, 1902.
42 Compare: E. Klekot, W krainie ludu. “Etno” w polskim dizajnie, “2+3D. Grafika plus produkt”,
2013, no. 46, pp. 79-83; idem, Trwałe obrazy rzeczy ludowych, in: Polska - kraj folkloru?, J. Kojdrak
(ed.), Warszawa 2016, pp. 139-157.
Folk art inspirations in the furniture...
235