DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45642#0055
L'effet de reel. Fragmenty rzeczywistości w obrazach Henryka Siemiradzkiego
51
Agnieszka Kluczewska-Wójcik
L'effet de reel. Fragments of reality in Henryk Siemiradzki^ works
The second half of the 19th century brings with it a gradual change in theory and praxis of academism
under criticism formulated not only by the members of subsequent avant gardes, but also by artists of the
juste milieu supported by official cultural and political institutions. References to historical knowledge and
to local customs and traditions appear where antiquity inspirations and idealization once held good, a freer
texture replaces the fini. Thanks to the interest of collectors in academic painting, much morę suited to
interiors, easel paintings triumph over monumental compositions whereas genre paintings, landscapes,
oriental motifs and “historical anecdotes” substitute allegories. Fragments of reality “rush” into the paint-
ing space.
This evolution is explicitly visible in the works of Henryk Siemiradzki, a Polish artist representing the
late phase of European academism. Ceramics, musical instruments and fabrics are all “fillers” - catalyses,
to use Roland Barthes words - that build a works atmosphere and emphasize the presence of reality in
the structure of the painting. Their presence on Siemiradzkis canvases make the Romans seem almost
contemporary. The impression is further strengthened by the clarity and of the direct painting technique.
Elements taken from reality, evidently transgressing the historical frame, are intended to bring the antique
vision closer to the lite experiences of the public. They reduce antiquity to the genre painting expected
by the viewers. Their role is to authenticate the entirety of the visual field as a representation of the antic
and early Christian reality in accordance with the artistic practice of realists defined by Barthes as de
rćel. Immersing himself in scenes relating to antique heritage, the artist takes into account historical details
and local accents without giving up on his own aesthetic culture and means of figuration appropriate to
his epoch.
51
Agnieszka Kluczewska-Wójcik
L'effet de reel. Fragments of reality in Henryk Siemiradzki^ works
The second half of the 19th century brings with it a gradual change in theory and praxis of academism
under criticism formulated not only by the members of subsequent avant gardes, but also by artists of the
juste milieu supported by official cultural and political institutions. References to historical knowledge and
to local customs and traditions appear where antiquity inspirations and idealization once held good, a freer
texture replaces the fini. Thanks to the interest of collectors in academic painting, much morę suited to
interiors, easel paintings triumph over monumental compositions whereas genre paintings, landscapes,
oriental motifs and “historical anecdotes” substitute allegories. Fragments of reality “rush” into the paint-
ing space.
This evolution is explicitly visible in the works of Henryk Siemiradzki, a Polish artist representing the
late phase of European academism. Ceramics, musical instruments and fabrics are all “fillers” - catalyses,
to use Roland Barthes words - that build a works atmosphere and emphasize the presence of reality in
the structure of the painting. Their presence on Siemiradzkis canvases make the Romans seem almost
contemporary. The impression is further strengthened by the clarity and of the direct painting technique.
Elements taken from reality, evidently transgressing the historical frame, are intended to bring the antique
vision closer to the lite experiences of the public. They reduce antiquity to the genre painting expected
by the viewers. Their role is to authenticate the entirety of the visual field as a representation of the antic
and early Christian reality in accordance with the artistic practice of realists defined by Barthes as de
rćel. Immersing himself in scenes relating to antique heritage, the artist takes into account historical details
and local accents without giving up on his own aesthetic culture and means of figuration appropriate to
his epoch.