DOI Artikel:
Szymanowicz, Maciej: Pomiędzy fotografią a malarstwem: o współpracy Jana Bułhaka z Ferdynandem Ruszczycem
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14575#0148
142
MACIEJ SZYMANOWICZ
BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHY AND PAINTING.
ON COLLABORATION BETWEEN JAN BUŁHAK AND FERDYNAND RUSZCZYĆ
Abstract
The aim of this text is pointing to the great role of mutual flow of formally-compositional pattems to the development of ar-
tistic activity of a photographer, Jan Bułhak and a painter, Ferdynand Ruszczyć. Artists' friendship and collaboration began on 21
November 1910. Since it was the time when Bulhak's artistic personality was being molded, Ruszczyc's works were particularly
inspiring for his early créative activity.
While conducting research concerning 'inter-picture' relations one can corne across a few dozen of very characteristic photo-
graphs which constitute an attempt to сору painting compositions onto focusing screen of a camera. Thèse photographs are signifi-
cant for identifying painting element in photographie work of art and for Bułhak, ennoblement of a photograph to the work of art
was taking place, among other things, through the use of a traditional painting composition.
Photographie studies on the basis of Ruszczyc's compositions, for Bułhak, were also a dialog with painting in generał, thanks
to which he could specify his theoretical ideas concerning différences between the two media. Bułhak believed that deriving com-
positional schemata from painting was also an ultimate test of legitimacy of the theory of pictorial photography he subscribed to.
Similarly Ruszczyć - especially in the 1920s - sought for inspiration in pictures by Bułhak. Using photography was the effect
of studies at the Petersburg Academy, where Ruszczyć attended courses in the studio of landscape led by Iwan Szyszkin, who taught
painting landscapes from nature during summer and from a photograph in winter.
The basis for the artists' friendship was constituted by their noble origin, as well as the shared interest in the closest, familiar
subject matter. Their artistic works referred to ail those éléments in the surroundings which seemed familiar, identified with home
landscape, marked with strong émotions.
I examine the flow of "image patterns" on the basis of three topics. The first one is constituted by Vilnius architecture, the
second by landscape and the third by the house of Ruszczyć family in Bohdanów, where Bułhak conducted his study upon his friend's
compositions in the places which were archétypes of paintings.
The examples presented above do not reflect the entire phenomenon, as today it is difficult to reconstruct because of annihila-
tion of the whole Bulhak's archive during the World War II.
Maciej Szymanowicz
MACIEJ SZYMANOWICZ
BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHY AND PAINTING.
ON COLLABORATION BETWEEN JAN BUŁHAK AND FERDYNAND RUSZCZYĆ
Abstract
The aim of this text is pointing to the great role of mutual flow of formally-compositional pattems to the development of ar-
tistic activity of a photographer, Jan Bułhak and a painter, Ferdynand Ruszczyć. Artists' friendship and collaboration began on 21
November 1910. Since it was the time when Bulhak's artistic personality was being molded, Ruszczyc's works were particularly
inspiring for his early créative activity.
While conducting research concerning 'inter-picture' relations one can corne across a few dozen of very characteristic photo-
graphs which constitute an attempt to сору painting compositions onto focusing screen of a camera. Thèse photographs are signifi-
cant for identifying painting element in photographie work of art and for Bułhak, ennoblement of a photograph to the work of art
was taking place, among other things, through the use of a traditional painting composition.
Photographie studies on the basis of Ruszczyc's compositions, for Bułhak, were also a dialog with painting in generał, thanks
to which he could specify his theoretical ideas concerning différences between the two media. Bułhak believed that deriving com-
positional schemata from painting was also an ultimate test of legitimacy of the theory of pictorial photography he subscribed to.
Similarly Ruszczyć - especially in the 1920s - sought for inspiration in pictures by Bułhak. Using photography was the effect
of studies at the Petersburg Academy, where Ruszczyć attended courses in the studio of landscape led by Iwan Szyszkin, who taught
painting landscapes from nature during summer and from a photograph in winter.
The basis for the artists' friendship was constituted by their noble origin, as well as the shared interest in the closest, familiar
subject matter. Their artistic works referred to ail those éléments in the surroundings which seemed familiar, identified with home
landscape, marked with strong émotions.
I examine the flow of "image patterns" on the basis of three topics. The first one is constituted by Vilnius architecture, the
second by landscape and the third by the house of Ruszczyć family in Bohdanów, where Bułhak conducted his study upon his friend's
compositions in the places which were archétypes of paintings.
The examples presented above do not reflect the entire phenomenon, as today it is difficult to reconstruct because of annihila-
tion of the whole Bulhak's archive during the World War II.
Maciej Szymanowicz