DOI Heft:
II. Ostatnie prace Jana Białostockiego
DOI Artikel:Artykuły
DOI Artikel:Białostocki, Jan: Matejko's "Wernyhora": a Slav prophet and bard
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19643#0187
MATEJKCS « WERNYHORA». A SLAV PROPHET AND BARD
J-wo works by Jan Matejko, the outstanding Polish historical painter of the
nineteenth century and a professor at the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts, are devoted to the
romantic subject of Wernyhora. The first was a smali sketch in oil from 1875 (Muzeum
Narodowe in Warsaw); some years later, in 1883—1884, Matejko painted a large picture,
now in the National Museum in Cracow, the character of which is uniąue among the artisfs
works1. Thanks to Romantic literaturę the Ukrainian hurdy-gurdy player had already
attained broad popularity although it was his appearance in Wyspiański's Wedding which
was to bring him the greatest glory. The figurę of Wernyhora became known because he was
made the hero of a number of literary works: he appeared in Michał Czajkowski's novel
(Wernyhora, Paris 1838), in Lucjan Siemieński's Trzy wieszczby (Three Prophecies, Paris
1841), in Juliusz Słowacki's drama Sen srebrny Salomei (Salomeas Siher Dream, 1844) and in
the fragments of Cantos VI to XIV of his poem Beniowski (published in 1866 in the second
volume of the Posthumous Works). Wernyhora also played a role in Pogranicze nad-
dnieprzańskie (Kijów 1863) by A. Nowosielski (pseudonym of Ant. Marcinkowski). Finally,
the famous Polish historian Joachim Lelewel published Wernyhoras Prophecy in the review
„Patriota" in December 1830. Ali this made the person of Wernyhora generally known,
although in the works which we have mentioned he was depicted and interpreted in different
ways2. Despite his popularity in literaturę, the Ukrainian bard made only few appearances in
the visual arts. In 1855 Leon Kapliński painted a picture devoted to Wernyhora (now in the
Muzeum Narodowe in Cracow). It shows him in his house, which is open to the outdoors,
surrounded by listeners: two men dressed like nobles and a girl in popular costume with a
lute3. His hand raised in an impatient gesture, the old man disregards his listeners and directs
his gaze towards the ground. In 1866 Artur Grottger also sketched a drawing representing
Wernyhora; it was intended as a cover design for Grottger's planned but never realized cycle
which was to be called Ruthenia or Roxolania. We do not know anything about what it
looked like4. Matejko does not seem to have had any other predecessors.
183
J-wo works by Jan Matejko, the outstanding Polish historical painter of the
nineteenth century and a professor at the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts, are devoted to the
romantic subject of Wernyhora. The first was a smali sketch in oil from 1875 (Muzeum
Narodowe in Warsaw); some years later, in 1883—1884, Matejko painted a large picture,
now in the National Museum in Cracow, the character of which is uniąue among the artisfs
works1. Thanks to Romantic literaturę the Ukrainian hurdy-gurdy player had already
attained broad popularity although it was his appearance in Wyspiański's Wedding which
was to bring him the greatest glory. The figurę of Wernyhora became known because he was
made the hero of a number of literary works: he appeared in Michał Czajkowski's novel
(Wernyhora, Paris 1838), in Lucjan Siemieński's Trzy wieszczby (Three Prophecies, Paris
1841), in Juliusz Słowacki's drama Sen srebrny Salomei (Salomeas Siher Dream, 1844) and in
the fragments of Cantos VI to XIV of his poem Beniowski (published in 1866 in the second
volume of the Posthumous Works). Wernyhora also played a role in Pogranicze nad-
dnieprzańskie (Kijów 1863) by A. Nowosielski (pseudonym of Ant. Marcinkowski). Finally,
the famous Polish historian Joachim Lelewel published Wernyhoras Prophecy in the review
„Patriota" in December 1830. Ali this made the person of Wernyhora generally known,
although in the works which we have mentioned he was depicted and interpreted in different
ways2. Despite his popularity in literaturę, the Ukrainian bard made only few appearances in
the visual arts. In 1855 Leon Kapliński painted a picture devoted to Wernyhora (now in the
Muzeum Narodowe in Cracow). It shows him in his house, which is open to the outdoors,
surrounded by listeners: two men dressed like nobles and a girl in popular costume with a
lute3. His hand raised in an impatient gesture, the old man disregards his listeners and directs
his gaze towards the ground. In 1866 Artur Grottger also sketched a drawing representing
Wernyhora; it was intended as a cover design for Grottger's planned but never realized cycle
which was to be called Ruthenia or Roxolania. We do not know anything about what it
looked like4. Matejko does not seem to have had any other predecessors.
183