DOI article:
Wójcik, Agata: Inspiracje sztuką ludową w meblarstwie artystów kręgu Towarzystwa Polska Sztuka Stosowana
Citation link:https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/modus2020/0237
inspired by folk art. Focusing on the work of Trojanowski, we can point out that
one of the most frequently used ornaments - applied to various materials - was
the motif of stylized symmetrical twigs. Perhaps it came from the painted deco-
rations of folk dowry chests, and the designer used it his designs for fittings on
cupboards and bookcases (see: Fig. 4). Twigs have also appeared as a decorative
motif on the backs of chairs. Very common decorations of this artists furniture
were also other ornaments derived from folk crafts - various types of stars, wavy
lines, motifs of lilies, zigzags, and hearts.
The tpss boasted a substantial collection of folk cut-outs from various parts
of the Polish lands, which inspired artists when designing metal fittings for
the furniture. Elements in the form of peacocks and hearts, slats decorated with
wavy lines on the cupboard and an icebox designed by Puget had their source in
Łowicz cut-outs and folk metalwork. Similar analogies can be found for the fit-
tings on a bookcase designed by Edward Trojanowski. The cut-outs also inspired
wood-carved decorations of furniture at the time. At his individual exhibition
in Kraków in 1905, Eugeniusz Dąbrowa-Dąbrowski presented a set of bedroom
furniture decorated with motifs taken from Kurpie cut-outs (see: Fig. 5). The
subtle influences of cut-outs can also be discerned in the shapes of the backrest
decorations and the supports of the armrests in the armchair designed by Józef
Czajkowski for the restaurant at the Stary Teatr in Kraków. Ludwik Wojtyczko
creatively transformed the shapes of the cut-outs, when designing armchairs and
chairs for the smaller dining room in the Stary Teatr (see: Fig. 6).
The desire to imitate the colour palette of folk art prompted artists to use
polychrome decoration on furniture, using furniture stain, and juxtaposing
the colour of wood with the intense colour of upholstery, sometimes additionally
decorated. Trojanowski used bold, saturated colours - both on the ornaments,
for emphasis, and on the entire pieces of furniture - and he also chose intense
colours of upholstery fabrics. An example of a preserved piece of furniture of his
design, which uses strong colours, is the cabinet found in the National Museum
in Kraków. With the blue, red, and navy blue colours, the designer brought out
ornaments inspired by cut-outs and folk ornaments. The press from the be-
ginning of the twentieth century provides further information about the art-
ists other projects applying polychrome paint. It was written on the subject:
“[...] the colours of Trojanowski are strong, energetic,but well composed: red,
green, and cherry, applied to simple, unsophisticated yet original shapes of fur-
niture.”45 At the tpss exhibition in Kraków in 1903, Trojanowski showed a chair
with a simple structure, with yellow upholstery and purple wood.46 At the same
exhibition, also Jan Bukowski presented a set of furniture for the office, with
a fairly simple form but with interesting colours. The furniture was dark blue,
and the artist decorated the upholstery fabric - in purple velvet - with motifs
madę in the batik technique.47
By studying folk crafts, as Warchałowski wrote, the artists “learned about
the eternal laws of logie, construction, harmony, and common sense.”48 Over
45 Styl swojski na dwóch konkursach, “Kurier Warszawski”, 1902, no. 199, pp. 1,3.
46 Pierwsza Wystawa Tow. “Polska sztuka stosowana”,“Czas”, 1903, no. 287, pp. 1-2.
47 Ibidem.
48 J. Warchałowski, Polska sztuka dekoracyjna, p. 18.
4. Edward Trojanowski,
bookcase, ca. 1905. Photo
from the collections of the
Cabinet of Engravings of
the Academy of Fine Arts in
Kraków
-> see p. 223
5. Eugeniusz Dąbrowa-Dąb-
rowski, a suitę of bedroom
furniture, ca. 1905. Photo
from the collections of the
Cabinet of Engravings of
the Academy of Fine Arts in
Kraków
-> see p. 224
6. Ludwik Wojtyczko, ar-
mchair, smaller dining room
in the Stary Teatr in Kraków,
1906. Photo from the
collections of the Cabinet of
Engravings of the Academy
of Fine Arts in Kraków
-> see p. 224
Folk art inspirations in the furniture...
237
one of the most frequently used ornaments - applied to various materials - was
the motif of stylized symmetrical twigs. Perhaps it came from the painted deco-
rations of folk dowry chests, and the designer used it his designs for fittings on
cupboards and bookcases (see: Fig. 4). Twigs have also appeared as a decorative
motif on the backs of chairs. Very common decorations of this artists furniture
were also other ornaments derived from folk crafts - various types of stars, wavy
lines, motifs of lilies, zigzags, and hearts.
The tpss boasted a substantial collection of folk cut-outs from various parts
of the Polish lands, which inspired artists when designing metal fittings for
the furniture. Elements in the form of peacocks and hearts, slats decorated with
wavy lines on the cupboard and an icebox designed by Puget had their source in
Łowicz cut-outs and folk metalwork. Similar analogies can be found for the fit-
tings on a bookcase designed by Edward Trojanowski. The cut-outs also inspired
wood-carved decorations of furniture at the time. At his individual exhibition
in Kraków in 1905, Eugeniusz Dąbrowa-Dąbrowski presented a set of bedroom
furniture decorated with motifs taken from Kurpie cut-outs (see: Fig. 5). The
subtle influences of cut-outs can also be discerned in the shapes of the backrest
decorations and the supports of the armrests in the armchair designed by Józef
Czajkowski for the restaurant at the Stary Teatr in Kraków. Ludwik Wojtyczko
creatively transformed the shapes of the cut-outs, when designing armchairs and
chairs for the smaller dining room in the Stary Teatr (see: Fig. 6).
The desire to imitate the colour palette of folk art prompted artists to use
polychrome decoration on furniture, using furniture stain, and juxtaposing
the colour of wood with the intense colour of upholstery, sometimes additionally
decorated. Trojanowski used bold, saturated colours - both on the ornaments,
for emphasis, and on the entire pieces of furniture - and he also chose intense
colours of upholstery fabrics. An example of a preserved piece of furniture of his
design, which uses strong colours, is the cabinet found in the National Museum
in Kraków. With the blue, red, and navy blue colours, the designer brought out
ornaments inspired by cut-outs and folk ornaments. The press from the be-
ginning of the twentieth century provides further information about the art-
ists other projects applying polychrome paint. It was written on the subject:
“[...] the colours of Trojanowski are strong, energetic,but well composed: red,
green, and cherry, applied to simple, unsophisticated yet original shapes of fur-
niture.”45 At the tpss exhibition in Kraków in 1903, Trojanowski showed a chair
with a simple structure, with yellow upholstery and purple wood.46 At the same
exhibition, also Jan Bukowski presented a set of furniture for the office, with
a fairly simple form but with interesting colours. The furniture was dark blue,
and the artist decorated the upholstery fabric - in purple velvet - with motifs
madę in the batik technique.47
By studying folk crafts, as Warchałowski wrote, the artists “learned about
the eternal laws of logie, construction, harmony, and common sense.”48 Over
45 Styl swojski na dwóch konkursach, “Kurier Warszawski”, 1902, no. 199, pp. 1,3.
46 Pierwsza Wystawa Tow. “Polska sztuka stosowana”,“Czas”, 1903, no. 287, pp. 1-2.
47 Ibidem.
48 J. Warchałowski, Polska sztuka dekoracyjna, p. 18.
4. Edward Trojanowski,
bookcase, ca. 1905. Photo
from the collections of the
Cabinet of Engravings of
the Academy of Fine Arts in
Kraków
-> see p. 223
5. Eugeniusz Dąbrowa-Dąb-
rowski, a suitę of bedroom
furniture, ca. 1905. Photo
from the collections of the
Cabinet of Engravings of
the Academy of Fine Arts in
Kraków
-> see p. 224
6. Ludwik Wojtyczko, ar-
mchair, smaller dining room
in the Stary Teatr in Kraków,
1906. Photo from the
collections of the Cabinet of
Engravings of the Academy
of Fine Arts in Kraków
-> see p. 224
Folk art inspirations in the furniture...
237