Around Konrad Krzyżanowski. Associations and Expressions

Curator: Maria Milanowska

Relentless as a painter, impulsive as a man, fully involved as a teacher - Konrad Krzyżanowski was one of the most colourful creators of the Warsaw artistic milieu of the early twentieth century. For two decades of his activity, he never strived for publicity, and his art found recognition mainly in a somewhat hermetic circle of Warsaw's bohemia. Contemporary painting of Krzyzanowski is still not fully discovered and appreciated. The exhibition "Around Konrad Krzyżanowski. Associations and Expressions” prepared at the Herbst Palace Museum is an attempt to explain it and confront it with the atmosphere of the beginning of the last century.

For Krzyżanowski art was a medium for expressing personal impressions, not a way to gain recognition. Remaining faithful to a very early developed style, he evolved within its framework, unusually balancing subtly on the borderline of late, Young Poland symbolism. Gradually, he started to introduce echoes of the just then being born Polish expressionism. The elements of his art from the very beginning were not only a strong emotional charge, but also a very expressive, immediately recognizable style. Most often, he created portraits of unusual atmosphere, and dynamic landscapes, at the heart of both posing issues of extreme authenticity of impression.

He valued friendships with artists associated with the magazine "Chimera", with whom he cooperated. Pedagogical activity was also very important for him - he ran a private painting studio and co-founded the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, thus contributing to the development of modern Polish painting.

The works presented at the exhibition at MPH come from the collections of fifteen Polish museums, including Museum of Upper Silesia in Bytom, National Museum in Krakow, National Museum in Poznan, National Museum in Warsaw, Museum of Opole Silesia in Opole, Museum of Silesia in Katowice, and private collections.