Romanticism and reflection Polish painting
Jerzy Madeyski
‘...The most numerous group of Poles in Munich, headed by Prof. Brandt, is a non-assimilating artistic community...,’ wrote Fredrich Pecht, a.k.a. Vasari of Munich, in his monumental history of art. His observation is also, or perhaps most of all, true about art. The Polish painters did not adopt the style promoted by the internationally famous Academy of ‘Athens on the Isar’, although this was exactly the place where the acclaimed polnische Landschaft or the Polish school of landscape, which, radically different from then current academic canons, emerged to achieve tremendous success on both sides of the Atlantic. The Polish landscape was vast, flat, humid and moody in its unstable, mysterious, often lateral illumination. It was a limitless landscape that prefigured the surreal spaces of the 20th century. Unusual, uncommon, and unknown to official art, this landscape stirred up wild enthusiasm. Art dealers both in Europe and across the Atlantic fought fiercely for works by the Paris-based Chełmoński. Pieces by the Munich painters have reclaimed their position, on which the years of the prevalence of avant-garde were a real strain, and now are triumphantly back at auctions. Just like paintings by Stanisław Chlebowski, a member of the same movement and the official painter at the court of sultan Abdul-Aziz, whose work fetched a spectacular sum of L133,500 at Sotheby’s. And he was not the most eminent Polish painter of that period. The Polish landscape was a remarkable phenomenon in contemporary painting, yet not the first one in history. The first attempt to define a national identity through art was made in the late 16th and the 17th century, when other Eastern and Central European nations, too, sought an identity and individual character in all areas, fashion included. At that time the first architect’s handbook was published under the suggestive title Brief Instruction in Building Castles, Mansions and Palaces According to Heaven and the Polish Custom (1659), where the author formulates and promotes the Polish type of residence, particularly the Polish manor house, which was so different from the Italian villa, the German Schloss or the French château de plaisance. At the same time two variants of the Polish Sarmatian portrait developed: one for decoration of interiors to celebrate family notability and the other for funeral purposes. The latter type were nailed to the foot of a coffin, hence their shape and name of coffin portraits. The portrait and the latter-day polnische Landschaft were radically different from the idealised and heroism-loaded image of official Baroque art, which was fairly uniform in all of Europe. The veristic Sarmatian portrait was a reflection and embodiment of a view that had prevailed among Poland’s nobility since the 12th century, whereby the Polish knighthood came from ancient Sarmatians, the only conquerors of the ever-invincible Julius Caesar. Paradoxically, the same nobility claimed to be the heirs of ancient Roman virtues. They gladly adopted Roman symbols and customs, and fluent knowledge of Latin and Roman literature was common among them. But paradoxes are what world history is replete with. The Sarmatian portrait, cruel in its realism and with its features verging on the caricature, has one counterpart in the history of art: the sculpted portrait of the mature Roman empire. The reasons for this hardly flattering treatment of the sitter seem to have been similar. Citizens of the world-ruling Rome considered themselves a privileged species, so they wanted to pass faithful images of themselves down to posterity. The Polish nobleman saw his position in a similar way: he felt a lawful administrator of a large state which stretched from the Baltic to the Red Sea, elected its rulers in free elections, and made it possible for him (at least in theory) to become a king too, because the Polish political system of a democracy among the nobility was fashioned after the ancient Roman Res Publica, and guaranteed the equality of all noblemen, irrespective of their wealth or office. Like their Roman predecessors, Polish noblemen wanted to leave a verum conterfectum: a real (i.e. undoctored) portrait, which to this day, or perhaps particularly this day, arouses fervent interest among art connoisseurs and collectors. Starting in the Sarmatian age, when the Polish national costume, architecture, interior design, armour (e.g. the hussars, or the winged cavalry) and painting were developed, two streams rolled through Polish art, the European mainstream and local convention – Sarmatian, vivid, boisterous at times, but always sincere, with no affectation. The two currents mixed into odd configurations and then again went their separate ways. The split was promoted by the partition of Poland, when the country and its people were deprived of their state and turned to art, their language and their customs for consolation, support and national survival. Revolutionary spurts inspired the art of Piotr Michałowski, an aristocrat, politician and economist. He painted out of a heart-felt need and did it so well that in Paris, where he emigrated after the uprising of 1831, his watercolours reached the prices of works by Delacroix in the flush of his popularity. Michałowski was a romantic per se. Romantic too was his art: vigorous, temperamental, emotional and very different from the ubiquitous Biedermeier painting with its meticulous treatment of detail. The Polish version of Art Nouveau, or Sezession as it was called in certain parts of Europe, was permeated with the romantic spirit as well. This highly decorative and refined style acquired in Poland a unique form and a deeper meaning as the so-called Young Poland. It combined a number of trends, Neo-Romanticism at the top of the list, with a folk convention, which was believe to serve as a springboard for the restitution of Poland. Also, Young Poland absorbed symbolism and gave it an altered local shape. Polish symbolism was patriotic by nature. This peculiar blend of common tendencies with a native atmosphere and local demand produced an eruption of young talents. In terms of artistic criteria, these talents lived up to European standards, because Polish artists studied or sought professional development in renowned schools of Paris, which in those times was the ultimate authority in art matters, Vienna, Munich and Saint Petersburg. However, they remained deeply rooted in their national tradition and the genius loci. This symbiosis became the foundation of the ingenuity of artists such as Józef Mehoffer, the prematurely deceased Witold Wojtkiewicz, the slightly older Maurycy Gottlieb, and Jacek Malczewski, whose patriotic and symbolic compositions are unmatched. Malczewski’s works are rightly looked on by experts as foreshadowing surrealism and, in the first place, the unusual art of Stanislas Wyspiański, who can no doubt be considered a forerunner and a key representative of expressionism. But what is expressionism if not a new version of romanticism? Does it not favour individuality and ethnic singularities? Is it basically different from the then prevailing French philosophy aimed at creating a common global language of art? Just like Romanticism before it, expressionism was in a natural opposition to academicism in its classical meaning of a school with inviolable aesthetic principles and the ensuing strict rules for constructing a work of art. Expressionism favoured freedom and individuality, which might have been the reason for the extraordinary and lasting popularity of Young Poland, out of which the entire Polish art of the 20th century grew, including the first avant-garde generation with its prominent and unrepeatable representative, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, later a world-class portraitist and playwright. Representatives of the most popular inter-war movement, post-impressionism, could also be said to have had an affair with the ideology of Young Poland because – interestingly though not surprisingly – Poland went crazy about post-impressionism and was seriously interested in surrealism. It rejected, however, post-cubist and constructivist avant-garde almost entirely. These movements produced only a few, though celebrated, artists such as Katarzyna Kobro, Władysław Strzemiński or Henryk Berlewi. Possibly due to its arid rationalism, which was alien to Polish art for its emotional indifference. The decorative and lyrical post-impressionism with its idealistic cult of light and colour, and a positive outlook, appealed to Polish artists’ tastes. Post-impressionism, like the cosmopolitan academicism, was seemingly deprived of local traditions. Yet like surrealism, it acquired a local savour in Poland, tinted with lyrical and romantic feelings. The power with which these two schools began to exert an impact on Polish art is hard to overestimate. Polish art has always absorbed novelties from the West though never in their original form. Regardless of the philosophical or formal objectives of the founders, each style has always been ‘rounded off’ with a bit of the Polish version of Post-Impressionism to dull its edge or aesthetic austerities, as was the case with tachism and, particularly, pop-art. Even the Soviet-fathered socialist realism imposed on Poland in the years 1949-55 was almost immediately transformed into Post-Impressionism with an accentuated drawing line and an extended theme. Lyricism, romanticism, references to folk culture and motifs derived from Young Poland, national tradition or even significantly transformed Sarmatism (as in paintings by Jerzy Duda Gracz, engravings by Jerzy Panek or works by a host of other artists) have survived and are bound to continue because it is in these qualities that the Polish mentality is manifested. And it is immaterial where the artists choose to live. Are the Paris-based Olga Boznańska or Tadeusz Makowski (who signed his works Tadé) not the best examples? These qualities, too, underlie Magdalena Abakanowicz’s work: her tapestries made from crude (folk) materials and her soft sculptures. Lyricism and romanticism pervade the sculptures of Igor Mitoraj, a graduate of the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, and the paintings by Tarasewicz or other Polish artists who run high in ratings world-wide. Another such is Henryk Musiałowicz. A retrospective of his works was recently held at the Poznan National Museum, and Gazeta Antykwaryczna discussed it at length, and put one of his paintings on the cover. This individual character is or may be our contribution to the unification of international art, because, I believe, there is always a place for a little lyricism and reflection in this rationalised world we live in.
Aleksander Mroczkowski, Pejzaż tatrzański, 1899, olej, płótno, 132 x 114 cm. Ostoya 22.02.2003. (23.625) 23.625
140 Years of Polish Art (1863 - 2003)
Sławomir Bołdok
A presentation of Polish art and its relationships with European art should be opened by saying that the art of Central European countries is largely unknown to a majority of the united Europe’s citizens. Few of them realise that the numerous artists arriving from this part of the continent, particularly in the 20th century, contributed to the shaping of western art, as evidenced in the names of Kisling, Marcoussis, de Lempicka, Kupka, or Brancusi, to mention but a few. On the eve of Poland’s accession to the European Union let me share with our readers my knowledge of Polish art, as this art is increasingly often exhibited in European showrooms and sold at auctions. Since the Middle Ages, artists from the west and south of Europe have no doubt had an inspiring effect on Polish art. However, the different landscape, the more severe climate, the light which is so unlike that in Tuscany or Brittany, as well as the character of the Polish people have caused Polish artists to acquire elements of European art with a local bias. Moreover, the local atmosphere influenced a lot of Western architects, sculptors and painters who worked in Poland in past centuries and who adapted artistic procedures they knew from their native countries to local requirements. By way of example let me mention the arcades in the Wawel Castle in Krakow, or Renaissance chapels, which were built in great numbers in the 16th century by architects from Italy. The impacts worked in the opposite direction too: Polish motifs used to be incorporated by foreign artists. For example, having returned to Paris, Jean Pierre Norblin de la Gourdaine made references to Polish customs and traditional costumes in his artistic work in the 18th century. What made Polish art of the 19th century distinct from other European countries is the specific selection of topics and the spirit of patriotism with which it was imbued in consequence of Poland’s loss of independence in the late 18th century, the Polish uprisings of 1830 and 1863, and finally Polish participation in ‘the Springtime of the Nations’ of 1848. The fight for freedom found its most vivid expression in literature and romantic poetry and, under the influence of the latter, in the visual arts. * The second half of the 19th century, and especially the last quarter, is a very important period in the history of Polish art. More new European conventions reached Poland than ever before, and the determination to fathom them made Polish artists go to study and seek stimulation in Munich, Vienna and Paris. At that time the patriotic current was intensifying, especially after the 1863 uprising, while artistic and critical circles intensified their discussions and efforts to create a national style in the visual arts. After 1850, under the influence of Western movements, realism became common among Warsaw painters as an opposition to classical art, notably in the development of landscape and genre painting represented by Wojciech Gerson, Józef Szermentowski, Franciszek Kostrzewski, Józef Chełmoński, Maksymilian and Aleksander Gierymski, Władysław Podkowiński and others. They contributed significantly to the promotion of these types of painting, which both thrived in the following half-century. This upsurge in patriotic feeling produced a series of historical and genre works after 1863 as well as pieces building on folk topics in a variety of compositional settings. Especially under Russian occupation, where harsh censorship was exercised, artists would have recourse to symbolic representations, or to popular scenes of battles or wars with the Turks or the Tartars in the 17th century. Only in this way could they praise the glory of the Polish knighthood. The abundance of genre scenes with folk motifs stemmed from realistic tendencies and from the intention to convey some national sentiments which, under this disguise, could elude the censors’ fervour. Both of these conventions were successfully applied by painters who lived for years in Munich, where they created a large Polish colony until the outbreak of World War I. Józef Brandt, Alfred Wierusz Kowalski, Józef Chełmoński, Władysław Szerner, Włodzimierz Ło¶, Maksymilian Gierymski, Jan Chełmiński, Juliusz and Wojciech Kossak, Antoni Kozakiewicz, Jan Rosen, Piotr Stachiewicz, Roman Kochanowski, Zygmunt Rozwadowski – these are but some of the names. A combination of Polish images with oriental topics invented by Brandt in Munich, held the keen interest of both critics and collectors, and a number of these pictures were bought in Germany to travel to other European countries and the U.S.A. More monumental historical paintings were created in Krakow, where Austrian restrictions on subjects in painting were negligible and the freedom of patriotic expression was greater. Here, Jan Matejko ruled indivisibly. He was the author of a lot of splendid depictions of episodes from Polish history, the creator of the polychrome in St. Mary’s Church in Krakow, and a teacher of hosts of students who thronged the Krakow School of Fine Arts from each occupied sector. Academic painting developed vigorously at that time as well, incorporating oriental and Judaic themes, such as in the works by Maurycy Gottlieb, or the classicizing pieces by Henryk Siemiradzki. From the 1980s onwards, the ‘novelties’ of Coubert’s naturalism, impressionism, symbolism, Art Nouveau and more avant-garde movements started permeating Polish art coming through Munich or, later, directly from Paris. The Polish equivalent of Art Nouveau was the art of so-called Young Poland. Krakow circles associated with the reformed Academy of Fine Arts attracted particularly large numbers of painting and graphic talents, who made a joint manifestation of their work at shows staged in the ‘Sztuka’ Association of Polish Artists in 1897. The founding fathers of the Association were eminent landscapers and genre painters: Jan Stanisławski, Józef Chełmoński, Leon Wyczółkowski, Włodzimierz Tetmajer, Teodor Axentowicz, Julian Fałat, Józef Mehoffer, Stanisław Wyspiański and Jacek Malczewski. It banded artists whose achievements mark significant chapters in the history of modern art in Poland. Among its members were Olga Boznańska, Wacław Borowski, Stanisław Dębicki, Stefan Filipkiewicz, Władysław Jarocki, Stanisław Kamocki, Stanisław Lentz, Fryderyk Pautsch, Ferdynand Ruszczyc, Kazimierz Sichulski, Wojciech Weiss and Witold Wojtkiewicz. One person stood out in this group, Jacek Malczewski, whose output chiefly comprises uniquely expressive symbolic art with an underlying romantic and patriotic purport. Apart from Malczewski, symbolism with a national tinge had its prominent representatives in the persons of Witold Pruszkowski, Stanisław Wyspiański and Ferdynand Ruszczyc. Beside the issue of form and colour, which was inherent in this style all over Europe, the national motif featured particularly powerfully in Young Poland art in an aftermath of the discussion on the ‘national style’. This convention was defined by drawing directly on the culture of Polish highlanders or Krakow’s countryside. It produced the ‘Zakopane style’ initiated by Karol Stryjeński, specimens of which can be found in Zakopane, and the ‘manor style’, which was eagerly employed during the inter-war period by designers of villas such as those in the Warsaw residential district of Żoliborz. Painting experienced proliferation of genre scenes from the regions of the East Carpathians, Podhale or Krakow, which would come up again and again in the works of Stachiewicz, Wodzinowski, Tetmajer, Jarocki, Pautsch, Sichulski, Axentowicz and others. The same themes were implemented by Władysław Skoczylas in the graphic arts. The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was very fruitful for Polish graphic art because numerous painters, such as Józef Pankiewicz, Leon Wyczółkowski, Jan Rubczak, Franciszek Siedlecki, Józef Mehoffer, Jan Stanisławski, Zofia Stankiewicz or Konstanty Brandel, took to lithography, metal techniques or woodcut. Ruskin’s views fostered a revival of applied art. The Workshops founded in Krakow by Wojciech Jastrzębowski and Karol Stryjeński gave artists an opportunity to design fabrics, ceramics, furniture and interiors, to renew typographic forms, etc. A series of the Workshops’ productions, such as some furniture designed by Stanisław Wyspiański, were later purchased for museum collections. Still before 1914 the news of fauvism, the Nabis, or cubism, which had emerged in France, and Italian futurism reached Poland. But it was not until three years later that a circle of young Krakow artists presented their works together at a display entitled Polish Expressionists. Leon Chwistek, Jan Hrynkowski, Tymon Niesiołowski, Władysław Skoczylas, Eugeniusz Zak were some of the artists that exhibited then. Supported by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Romuald Witkowski, Konrad Winkler, Tytus Czyżewski, and Andrzej and Zbigniew Pronaszko, they founded a group that they dubbed the Formists. Its members challenged traditional anecdote-based painting conventions with their modern techniques. This sparked off the Polish avant-garde and as such is essential to the history of Polish art. The independence that the Poles regained in 1918 did not have any fundamental effect on the styles in Polish art or on the preferences of the public. However, artists could now enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, opportunities of unrestricted communication with European art centres and, last but not least, state sponsorship. In consequence of these changes, the years 1918-1939 saw the appearance of more or less stable groups of various artistic orientation. Artistic liaisons were more intense, artists would travel to Paris, and Polish art could participate in the international art forum under its own name. Polish art developed in three main streams. The most popular of them was traditional painting derived from realism and the impressionist experience of colour. Its leaders were members of the ‘Sztuka’ Association. A revamped form of realism, which touched on the art of old Dutch and Italian masters yet with some surrealistic inclinations, was proposed in the later half of the 1920s by students of Tadeusz Pruszkowski, e.g. Bolesław Cybis, Eliasz Kanarek, Jan Gotard, Antoni Michalak, Jeremi Kubicki and Jan Zamoyski, members of the Brotherhood of St. Lucas. They were patronised by the state authorities and reached the peak of popularity in 1939, when their paintings dominated the Polish pavilion at the New York Expo. Vilnius artists centred around Ludomir ¦lendziński became more classical in their realism. The second convention was represented by painters and graphic artists who leaned towards the avant-garde movements of the turn of the centuries such as fauvism, cubism, etc., and presented them in a restrained form. In the years 1922-1932, kudos was heaped, both domestically and abroad, on a large number of artists working under the colophon of the ‘Rytm’ Association of Polish Visual Artists. The group included artists whose pieces were highly appreciated at the International Show of Decorative Art in Paris (1925): the painters and graphic artists Wacław Borowski, Stanisław Rzecki, Władysław Skoczylas, Tymon Niesiołowski, Zofia Stryjeńska, Wacław W±sowicz, Zygmunt Kamiński, Tadeusz Gronowski, Roman Kramsztyk and Eugeniusz Zak, and the sculptors Henryk Kuna, Jan Szczepkowski, Edward Wittig and others. Their Paris success provided the stimuli for promoting modern-day applied art, different from the productions of the artists of the Krakow Workshops. This mission was taken up by the ‘Ład’ Artists’ Coop, whose transformed folk motifs and French influences branded the Polish Art Deco style. The most extreme position was taken up by advocates of non-representational art. They would found short-lived artistic groups, frequently composed of painters and graphic artists side by side with architects. In Warsaw, their work brought about some functional and purist architecture: housing developments for workers in Żoliborz, modernist public buildings (the National Museum, the telephone exchange house at Nowogrodzka Street, or the Academy of Physical Education in Bielany), or the cubist-like villas of rich residents in Saska Kępa. Some leading eminent avant-gardists were Henryk Berlewi, Mieczysław Szczuka, Teresa Żarnowerówna, Władysław Strzemiński, Katarzyna Kobro, Henryk Stażewski, Maria Łunkiewicz, Maria Nicz-Borowiakowa, as well as the author of interesting photographic montages, Mieczysław Berman. In 1920s, avant-garde artists gathered especially in Warsaw and in ŁódĽ, and later in the Krakow Group (Grupa Krakowska) with Sasha Blonder [André Blondel], Maria Jarema, Jonasz Stern, Leopold Lewicki, Henryk Wiciński and Stanisław Osostowicz as its key figures. However, during the twenty years between the two World Wars avant-garde did not in fact play any critical role. With ‘natural’ art prevailing and the colourist movement growing in significance, avant-gardists such as Stern, Osostowicz or Blonder turned to creating paintings in a vein of postimpressionist colourism in the late 1930s. It was in the 1930s that the domination of colourism in Polish modern art became evident. This was particularly owing to Józef Pankiewicz’s students, who began returning from Paris around 1931 and whose paintings won more and more fans. Among them were Jan Cybis, Hanna Rudzka-Cybisowa, Artur Nacht-Samborski, Piotr Potworowski, Zygmunt Waliszewski and Janusz Strzałecki. After 1945 the majority of them were given professorships at academies of fine arts. The colourists were not limited to Pankiewicz and his disciples. It attracted painters of various provenances: Eugeniusz Geppert, Jerzy Wolff, Eugeniusz Eibisch, Czesław Rzepiński, Efraim and Menashe Seidenbeutel, Felicjan Kowarski, Jan Sokołowski, Karol Larisch, Wacław Taranczewski and many others. Under the Nazi occupation in 1939-1945, official artistic activity froze up. Therefore, after the war, artists sought to restore the pre-1939 situation. Liaisons with Paris were resumed, and the colourist movement reinforced its impact, though not without opposition from the youngest generation of artists. The young looked towards geometric abstraction and surrealism, and their approach was manifested at the 1946 and 1948 Modern Exhibitions in Krakow. There, productions of surviving older avant-gardists such as Henryk Stażewski, Marek Włodarski, Maria Jarema and Jonasz Stern were confronted with works by Jerzy Nowosielski, Tadeusz Kantor, Jerzy Tchórzewski, Tadeusz Brzozowski, Janina Kraupe, Adam Marczyński, Jan Lenica, Andrzej Wróblewski, Kazimierz Mikulski, Marian Bogusz or Jan Tarasin. The period of free creation and free confrontation of styles and artistic attitudes hardly lasted beyond 1949. The Iron Curtain and the regime-postulated socialist realism restricted the liberty of artistic expression. Some artists went on working but without hope or intention of showing anything. A majority displayed active involvement by tailoring their styles and subjects to the requirements of socialist realism, and the colourists found it easiest to adapt. After the thaw of 1956, Polish art became more heterogeneous. Communication with Western art was refreshed, and Poles enjoyed more and more liberty to exhibit abroad. Applied graphic art, represented by the Polish schools of poster and artistic graphic art earned growing recognition at shows and competitions abroad, well deserved for that matter. The names of Waldemar ¦wieży, Roman Cie¶lewicz, Jan Lenica, Franciszek Starowieyski, Henryk Tomaszewski, Józef Mroszczak, Wojciech Zamecznik, Jan Sawka, Jerzy Panek, Stanisław Wójtowicz, Halina Chrostowska, Józef Gielniak, Mieczysław Wejman, Lucjan Mianowski, Roman Opałka, Jacek Gaj or Andrzej Pietsch became known world-wide. The Biennial in Lausanne promoted Polish artistic fabrics, and the so-called abakan, i.e. spatial fabrics created by Magdalena Abakanowicz, were a springboard for her international career as a sculptor. Beside adapting the styles that came up one by one on the European scene, the Polish painting of 1960s and 1970s proved truly innovative thanks to artists who came from the tradition of Jan Cybis and his colleagues’ colourism to move later towards a synthesis of form and colour. Painters of the older generation, who blazed this trail of artistic quest were Piotr Potworowski and Artur Nacht-Samborski, and the younger generation, which reached as far as abstraction, was represented by Stefan Gierowski, Jan Tarasin, Tadeusz Dominik and Leon Tarasewicz. Beside the innovative colourist vein, antique dealers and collectors still have today a strong penchant for the post-Kapist tradition. Of the large group of painters who prefer this school of painting mention should be made of Zbysław M. Majewski, Jan Szancenbach, Juliusz Joniak, Wiesław Szamborski and Łukasz Korolkiewicz. At that time the most renowned champion of non-representational art was Tadeusz Brzozowski, who came all the way from a surreal pursuit to a very personal style of ‘organic’ abstraction. The ‘natural’ movement lived on, and various tendencies intersected within it. Fantasy recurred in the works of Henryk Waniek, Anna Guntner, Zbigniew Makowski and Jan Dobkowski, and verism was exercised by Jerzy Krawczyk and Zbylut Grzywacz. These days the most celebrated representative of this line is Jacek Rykała. Contemporary art is by definition still so close in time that it is hard to forejudge which tendency or who will have a permanent place in the history of art. Interestingly, the art of the middle-aged generation of painters is mostly representational. The most outstanding painters in this group are Jarosław Modzelewski, Ryszard Grzyb, Marian Czapla, Wilhelm Sasnal, Tomasz Ciecierski and Marcin Maciejowski. The youngest artists willingly reach for photography or video, which are but modern tools and will not take the place of the manual or intellectual capabilities of people who call themselves artists. They employ body art, arrange various, often trite, events, etc. just like hosts of restive young people around the world. Acceptance or rejection of their actions is up to the audience these days, but a more comprehensive assessment is still way ahead. This observation concludes my condensed review of the history of Polish art in the years 1863-2003, which, I hope, leaves out no significant phenomena or transformations in visual arts that have occurred over those years.
Tried and tested names Contemporary art at auctions over the past year
Tomasz Lewicki
Using the phrase ‘contemporary art’ calls for a definition of what exactly is understood by this term. The most obvious is the chronological criterion: contemporary art is the art that has been created over the past... That’s the point. How many? 30, 50 or perhaps 100 years? If we agree that contemporary art began in the 1970s, it will comprise works by artists like Wlastimil Hofmann, Teodor Grott, Wiktor Korecki or other contemporaries of Julian Fałat, who were all born still in the 19th century, and whose style is inseparably bonded with that age. It will not, however, take in Andrzej Wróblewski or Jerzy Krawczyk. An alternative criterion to consider, then, is the modernity of the art itself. Yet avant-garde is a historical term and it would be hard to call Henryk Stażewski’s abstractions produced 60 years ago “modern”. The class of these artists aside, from the perspective of the 21st century Korecki seems like an epigone of Fałat and Stażewski an epigone of Mondrian, equally remote in time. Geometric abstraction or tachism are conventions as historical as Art Nouveau or verism. Rafał Olbiński’s surrealism is as archaic as Konstanty Mackiewicz’s landscapes. Consequently, the auction prices listed do not reflect any strict rules of classification. They are simply bids for Polish works of art created over the past 50 years. Pieces by artists of older generations have been excluded save for the avant-garde. Foreign art has a vestigial representation on the contemporary art market (6% of total sales), limited primarily to multiples. The market share of Polish pieces up to 50 years old is on the rise. Ten years ago it stood at 4% of total sales, compared to 22% last year. Initially they dominated charity auctions, were often snatched up by art dealers, and later began to show up at commercial vendures. One of the reasons for the auction houses’ increased interest in the most recent art is the fact that the supply of distinguished Polish 19th century paintings is on the wane. These days, great canvases by Józef Brandt, Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski or Józef Chełmoński are twice as rare at auctions as five years ago. For want of other merchandise, all auction houses have extended their offer to include new productions that in the past would only have been sold in galleries. A brilliant marketing trick on the part of the auction house Agra was to start Internet auctions of 20th century art at PLN 100, which attracted a lot of bargain hunters. The lots are mostly pieces by artists with some reputation already. Promoting young artists who do not have a ‘name’ is a task for art dealers, not auction houses. Some works are furnished by artists themselves who, tempted by commissions lower than those charged in galleries, risk a market verification of their worth. Other items are a second-hand offer, including from art dealers. A majority of the modern offer are paintings. This should not be a surprise as there are hardly any collectors of installations or performance art. No market will emerge for installations until big corporations get into the habit of using them to decorate interiors. However, for now this does not seem likely to happen any time soon. Installation artists who think of selling their work can only rely on public non-profit galleries or export. A look at how the most famous and most expensive living artists fare at auctions gives a picture of what kind of contemporary art is most popular. Wojtek Siudmak, Jerzy Duda-Gracz, Zdzisław Beksiński, Igor Mitoraj, Franciszek Starowieyski, or Jacek Yerka – they all practice representational art with a clear anecdote. They make references to commonly known traditions (e.g. Yerka to surrealism, Duda-Gracz to the Young Poland, and Mitoraj to antiquity) and flaunt their masterly technique. This technique is what Rafał Olbiński lacks, yet his reputation as a poster painter in America compensates this shortcoming for him. Particularly interesting is the case of Duda-Gracz. Ignored in certain circles for non-artistic reasons (e.g. his works were not present at the vast exhibition of the Polish landscape painting in the Warsaw National Museum), he has indisputably made the history of Polish art as one of the most celebrated artists in the last quarter of the 20th century. Jerzy Nowosielski, the second Polish artist to have logged over PLN 100,000 at an auction (the first was Siudmak), was a shoo-in to achieve market success. This classic of modernity, whose works enjoy pride of place in museums, is unmistakable, very homely, and through the direct references to Orthodox icons yields easily to interpretations, superficial though they might be. Credit for this should be given to Andrzej Starmach: if it had not been for this eminent art dealer, this market success would not have come to pass. Marta Tarabuła’s Galeria Zderzak played a similar role in promoting the works of the late Andrzej Wróblewski, whose paintings are increasingly popular. There are other conventions on the market that go beyond the native mysteriousness represented by the aforementioned artists. Tadeusz Dominik, Stefan Gierowski, Rajmund Ziemski, and Jacek Sienicki are celebrated artists presenting ‘elegant modernity’. Their work is rooted in colourism, which makes it simply pleasing to the eye. The exception that proves the rule is Ryszard Winiarski’s regular presence at auctions: his paintings are a complement to his intellectual concepts rather than works of art. As for deceased artists, the highest prices are, too, bid for works by the most renowned artists, such as Tadeusz Kantor and Artur Nacht-Samborski. The latter, just like Jan Cybis, Wacław Taranczewski, Jan Szancenbach, or Czesław Rzepiński, represents the popular vein of colourism. The market success of Tadeusz Brzozowski and Jerzy Tchórzewski’s canvases is largely attributed to their decorative qualities and aesthetic splendour, which turn the images into painting gems. Galleries and auction houses alike have ‘their’ artists. For example, Rempex regularly puts up Grzegorz Moryciński and Jacek Yerka; Sztuka has Stasys, Jerzy Stajuda, Ryszard Winiarski and Janusz Orbitowski up at every auction; and Rynek Sztuki sells Józef Panfil and Zygmunt Kwiryński. A comparison of the selling prices of each painters’ pieces shows that clients buy ‘names’ rather than concrete works, because in terms of price paintings of a clearly lesser quality equal their most superb works. Unfortunately, when artists turn forty their artistic form tends to decline, which comes through in the later productions of artists such as Brzozowski, Nowosielski, Sienicki or Ziemski. However, buyers’ limited knowledge means that an artist’s reputation, and not always the best pieces, fetch the highest bids. Clients’ taste in modern art is not as mature yet as their comprehension of older art. Unlike ten years ago, the finest canvases by Wierusz, Kossak or Fałat are now guaranteed to go for a lot more than their lesser works. Auction houses are visibly turning to two types of young painters: the famous (Joanna Sarapata) and the great (Jarosław Modzelewski). Modzelewski, once a member of the Gruppa, the leading association of the new fauvists, enters into dialogue with academism, which is a driving power of his market success. Both him and the Gruppa rightly merit a mention in every review of Polish art of the 20th century. Shortly, paintings by members of the now defunct Ładnie group (Rafał Bujnowski, Marcin Maciojewski and Wilhelm Sasnal) will go under the hammer. Their pop-banality, which mirrors the climate of the recent years in Poland, has an outright appeal to the young generation, which one day will shape the market. Throughout the world, contemporary art accounts for half of total sales. Sooner or later, it will be the same in Poland. For the time being one should bear in mind that investment in an artist at the outset of their career ultimately brings the highest profit.
RECORD PRICES OF PAINTINGS AT AUCTIONS IN 2002
Władysław Czachórski, Actors in front of Hamlet, oil, 1875
Sztuka, March 23rd €317.500
Piotr Michałowski, A portrait of a Jew, oil
Sztuka, October 26th €218.750
Władysław Czachórski, A lady with flowers, oil, 1903
Agra-Art, March 10th €210.000
Jan Matejko, Bolesław Rogatka with Anna Dederen and a musician, oil, 1877
Polswiss Art, October 13th €187.500
Jan Matejko, Rejtan. The fall of Poland, oil (a copy, around 1920)
Sztuka, May 18th €110.000
Olga Boznańska, A portrait of the artist’s sister with a red umbrella, oil, 1886
Agra-Art, June 16th €97.500
Jan Bogumił Plersch, An Italian landscape, oil
Sztuka, December 14th €97.500
Eugeniusz Zak, A mother with a child, oil, pencil
Polswiss Art, December 8th €86.250
Tadeusz Makowski, Little brothers, oil, 1931
Rempex, October 23rd €80.000
Eugeniusz Zak, A young boy with a mandolin, oil, 1924
Sztuka, March 23rd €75.000
Leon Chwistek, A river of women, oil
Polswiss Art, October 13th €72.500
Józef Chełmoński, A Polish rider, oil, 1879
Sztuka, October 26th €71.250
Andrzej Wróblewski, An inundated city, overleaf: A newly bought car, oil, 1948
Sztuka, October 26th €70.000
Władysław ¦lewiński, Stocks, oil, around 1909
Agra-Art, December 15th €70.000
Wojciech Weiss, A woman combing her hair, oil, 1898
Polswiss Art, December 8th €66.250
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, An autumn landscape, oil, 1912
Sztuka, December 14th €63.750
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, A marine landscape in Brittany, oil, 1911
Sztuka 26th October €62.500
Tadeusz Makowski, Rabbits, oil, 1927
Sztuka, October 26th €60.000
Tadeusz Makowski, Two children with a banner, oil, 1931
Sztuka, May 18th €58.750
Jacek Malczewski, Mother, a soldier was here..., oil, 1911
Agra-Art, October 20th €55.000
Jerzy Hulewicz, Don Quixote, oil, 1926
Polswiss Art, October 13th €54.750
Jan Styka, Eunice in front of a statue of Petronius, oil
Polswiss Art, December 8th €53.750
Olga Boznańska, Interior of the artist’s studio, oil, around 1896
Polswiss Art, October 13th €52.500
Roman Kramsztyk, Still life on the table, oil
Polswiss Art, December 8th €52.500
Areas to discover The decorative arts market in Poland
Tomasz Lewicki
In the early days of the free market economy in Poland, a malachite crater embellished with gilt bronze, nearly one meter high and designed to decorate the entrance to the Japanese Palace in Dresden, was auctioned in Warsaw for €60,000 (Rempex 5.05.1991). Though a record in Poland, this price was not a presage of any violent development of the market of antique decorative arts in Poland. This market accounts for some 9% of the auction and antiques business. This is hardly surprising if you bear in mind that the true collector, i.e. passionate, knowledgeable and moneyed, is an endangered species. Premium objects which might become real treasures in museum collections and make antique dealers’ hearts beat faster are not easy to come by here. Just a dozen or so of them turn up every year, and when they do they do not always succeed in logging prices they would elsewhere. Relatively often dishes from the much sought-after ‘Swan Service’ are offered up in Poland. In the years 1988-2002, 16 dishes from Count Brühl’s service appeared on the market, of which a serving dish sold for the highest price of over €20,000 (Rempex 20.08.1998). In terms of porcelain, also four figurines are worthy of note. They are called ‘the Four Continents’ and were made in a Viennese factory around 1740, painted by Christian Kremser, and bought by the Royal Castle in Warsaw for the equivalent of €34,000 (Rempex 15.12.1991). Also from a Viennese manufacturer, a tray decorated in 1807 with a varicoloured miniature by Joseph Nigg remained largely undervalued because starting with the price of €1,500 it reached no more than/only €16,000 (Rempex 21.10.1998). Over the past 10 years, more than 20 silver tankards, jugs, pitchers, bowls and trays dating from the 17th and 18th century came under the hammer in Poland. The highest price of €17,500 was bid for a piece (1720) by Daniel Hermann, a goldsmith from the town of Elbl±g (Rempex 26.11.1997). €10,000 was the selling price for a pair of champagne cooling vases made by the Lublin goldsmith Ignacy Gałecki in 1873. (Unicum 28.07.1991). In 1994, a top-class mantle clock was put up for sale. It was ornamented with a bronze-cast group representing the abduction of Europa, and was made in 1755 in the workshop of the Paris clockmaker François Viger and the brazier Robert Osmond. The buyer was the Warsaw Royal Castle, which paid €34,000 (Unicum 19.06.1994). Five years later a mantle clock signed by the Parisian brazier Jean-Simon de Verberie was auctioned. Made around 1800, it depicted two Indians. De Verberie’s black-and-white au sauvage clocks are the dream articles for many collectors and museums, therefore although the auction house underestimated it and set the starting price at €3,750, the clock fetched ten times as much (Ostoya 12.12.1999). Among a series of Baroque tile clocks, the most interesting was Johann Eichstedt’s work made in Gdansk in 1670, which raised €11,200 (Rempex 16.02.1997). Its exquisite housing encases an hour/quarter signalling device, an alarm and a mechanism that indicates hours, days, months, Zodiac signs and moon phases. Glass objects are represented by an electrical lamp which sold for €9,500. It was produced in 1905-1910 in Emil Gallé’s factory (Rempex 17.09.1997). €24,000 was bid for a glass with allegories of the four seasons engraved by the Berlin artist Gottfried Spiller in 1710 (Ostoya 7.04.2001). Moving on to furniture, the most interesting lot was a secretary from Kolbuszowa (a highly rated centre of furniture making in Poland), which was dated 1760 and went for €15,000 (Rempex 14.12.1990). Three pieces were knocked down at €16,000 each: a bureau-plat modelled after the Louis XV style and made in the late 19th century (Rempex 17.11.1999), a German secretary from the mid-18th century (Rempex 27.10.1999) and a Polish secretary from the mid-19th century (Rempex 23.06.1999). €78,000 was offered for a Neo-Renaissance suite of furniture that came from the court of tsar Nicholas II (Rempex 11.09.2002). To be precise, the set was intended for the palace of the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna and was produced in the Saint Petersburg factory of F.F. Meltzer and J. Platonoff, based on Stefan Gałęzowski’s design and with Camille de Camille’s sculptures. The components of the suite were a dresser, table, 15 chairs and a desk. Gothic and Baroque wooden sculptures go under the hammer fairly frequently. The most interesting and most expensive item of this type (€73,000) has been the Madonna with Child from St. Mary’s Church in Gdansk, a mid-15th century figure of superior quality (Rempex 13.11.2002). For some years the market has offered militaria of decent quality: a Nuremberg petrinal from 1580 which was auctioned at €40,000 (Sztuka 18.12.1999), a pair of Nuremberg puffer (wheelock) pistols from the same period sold for €16,500 (Sztuka 8.05.1999), or a hunting rifle that once belonged to the Polish king August the Powerful, made by the Viennese gunsmith Dominicus Asconomus in 1725, which went for €12,500 (Sztuka 8.05.1999). When the stamp of the last Polish king, Stanislas August, (dated 1777) engraved in a stellate ruby, was put up for sale, the sensation was immense. It raised €37,500 (Amaltheion 18.12.1999). An unprecedented lot on the Polish market and an international sensation was an illuminated manuscript of the Canon of the Holy Mass with a full-page miniature Crucifixion, made around 1500 in Maciej of Drohiczyn’s studio at the Wawel Castle in Krakow. The buyer bid €22,000 for it (Desa Unicum 9.10.1999). Of all the historical objects of technology one is worth mentioning: the famous encrypting machine ‘Enigma’, which sold for US$ 5,300 (Rempex 21.05.1997). Articles of select quality are scarce on the Polish market of decorative arts. Those made before 1800 account for a mere 2% of the total volume. The market is dominated by serial products from the late 19th and the 20th century. There is a scant group of collectors par excellence who are willing to spend thousands on a Baroque tankard, and demand is greater for more imposing, lavishly decorated collectibles, which do not necessarily have historical value but are durable, functional and pleasant to use on the one hand, and a good investment on the other. Therefore, a pair of decorative porcelain vases made in the factory Potschappel – Sachsiche Porzellanfabrik Carl Thieme in 1890 was sold for €22,000 (Rempex 21.05.1997). Silver tea or coffee sets have the largest appeal. Most of them are imported from Germany and were produced in German factories in the late 19th and the 20th century. Those that are made in the styles of rococo, modernised classicism or Art Nouveau attract most clients. The highest prices were paid at the turn of 1999 and 2000, the boom years on the market, when for example a hundred-year-old breakfast set manufactured in the Neresheimer factory in Hanau raised €20,000 (Agra-Art 19.03.2000). It is easy to get a good price for a 20th-century complete service of cutlery for 24 people, preferably in the original canteen. A set like this, consisting of 192 pieces, reaped €15,000 (Agra-Art 10.12.2000). This review evokes some general observations. Polonica raise more in Poland than elsewhere because Poles are focused primarily on their national art. Unique, high-class objects of foreign origin hardly ever reach world market prices. We have seen auctions when the auction house’s initial expectations were outbid ten times, which proves that unique lots are not always assessed correctly by the seller. Yet the opposite happens too. For example, a Japanese samurai katana sword which fetched €23,000 (Rempex 25.04.2001) was start-priced by a Munich antiques dealer only 5,000 lower. Other samurai swords that are worth €100 elsewhere in the world have been offered in Poland for €2,000. More expensive in Poland are articles of less than top quality, but elegant and spectacular, even if they are products of industry rather than craftsmen, like the porcelain vases or silver sets mentioned above. Furniture in historical styles is often imported, particularly Neo-Renaissance office sets, priced at €5,000-7,000, office bronzes by lesser-known foreign artists (there is no domestic offer of this kind), American silver plates or late mass-edition Gallé glassware. Another distinctive feature of the Polish market is the poor relationship between the price and the state of preservation. The reason is that objects that have survived in ideal condition are in short supply. This is a historical ramification of the fact that for the past 200 years Poland has not been collector-friendly, and every historical cataclysm has had a destructive effect on existing collections. The 50 years of communism and the Iron Curtain kept Poland in isolation from the world market and were conducive to an outflow of great works of art from Poland. For the same reason Polish decorative art works are unknown abroad. Naturally, gold articles produced by old artisans from Gdansk or Wroclaw is highly appreciated in Germany, but very interesting gold pieces made in Warsaw during the Classical period are poorly recognisable in spite of being fairly inexpensive. For example a boat-shaped saltshaker made by goldsmiths such as Jan Jerzy Bandau or Ludwik Nast costs approximately €300, and a chest-like sugar box is €1,200. Warsaw silver plates have lots of enthusiasts abroad, and rightly so, because Fraget’s products are not inferior to their French or German counterparts, either in terms of design and workmanship. The most expensive are Art Nouveau items: a potential buyer needs to pay at least €300 for a chest-like sugar box, while a neo-rococo dressing table set made to order cost €6,000 (Rempex 13.10.1996). Poland is still rich with judaica, which are looked for especially by tourists from Israel. Please note that Polish antique dealers are a lot more competent in this area than their western colleagues. Nearly the whole lot of judaica from Eastern and Central Europe that was once offered by an world-famous auction house in Amsterdam turned out to be forgeries that would be easily identified by any Polish art dealer. Jewish tower-shaped besamim (spice boxes) dating from the 19th century sell for some €500. For a Torah crown one needs to pay about €1,500. Foreigners purchase willingly old Silesian glassware, a pretty selection of which can be found in some antique galleries. Silesia used to be a leading region in this craft. The Art Nouveau ceramics of Wacław Bębnowski are highly appreciated for their beauty rather than the author’s name, which is unknown anywhere outside Poland (prices ranging between €200 and 1’600). A majority of Polish pieces of decorative art (e.g. 18th-century faience from the royal factory in the Belvedere, Nie¶wież or Naliboki glassware, porcelain from the first local factories in Korzec, Baranówka and Ćmielów, artistic Nieborów majolicas from the late 19th century, Art Nouveau figurines from Pacyków, or Art Deco glassware from Niemen and Franciszka glassworks) easily matched the European standards of their time, yet are in demand in Poland only, so they can be sold more profitably here. Since Polish factories were much outdistanced by western or Russian factories in production volume, local products are not as frequent on the market as their foreign counterparts. Therefore a very rare porcelain dish from the early days of the Ćmielow faience works (1838) is four times as expensive as a similar Meissen plate from the same period. However, it would be no attraction outside its country of origin. It would seem good business, then, to import all polonica to Poland. The Polish design of the second half of the 20th century is likely to become a hit on the international market. It is little known outside Poland as yet, except for decorative glass. The most renowned glass artists, such as Borowski, Zuber or Tomaszewski, sell better in Germany than in Poland. At an auction held in the Wroclaw Academy of Fine Art, a majority of the lot was bought by the staff of the local German Consulate. Recently, designs made in the late 1950s for the Warsaw Institute of Design have been running very high in the ratings. The fantastic organic colourful and abstract style of porcelain figures, faience flower vases and silver plates is being revived now. With its bold form and synthetic painting decoration, Lubomir Tomaszewski, Henryk Jędrasiak, Mieczysław Naruszewicz and Hanna Orthwein’s works are unique in world design. The Institute of Design produced over a hundred models of figures, so to collect them all is a real challenge which more and more collectors are taking up. The prices of single models range from €100-500, yet if they find their way to a modern design auction at a reputable vendue, the prices may soar.
The gems of Polish architecture
Jerzy Madeyski
Where else if not in Poland can one see the unusual architecture of the Wieliczka salt mine, the imposing Gothic castle in Malbork (Marienburg), or the Krakow Barbican, which could vie (with no inferiority complex/on equal terms) with the similar fortress designed by Leonardo for Italy’s Imola? Only here will one find the colossal figurative sgraffiti trimming the external walls of the Renaissance castle in Krasiczyn, the old town in Zamo¶ć, all built from scratch in the Renaissance style, or lots of other first-rate pieces of historical architecture, such as the exquisite Water Palace in Warsaw’s Łazienki or the breathtakingly elegant, splendid interiors of the rococo churches in Chełm. This list of architectural treasures is long and inexhaustible, because Poland has been in Europe for a thousand years and has participated in its cultural life. But culture was not the only area of interaction: the two feet long medieval shoes with pointed toes, locally invented and exported extensively, were called crakows by the London dandies and poulaines (after Poland) in Paris. Which shows that Polish fashion was appreciated across the continent. It could not be otherwise, because Poland formed the intersection of the key trade routes: the ancient ‘amber route’ leading northwards from Rome, and the route from Byzantium and Ruthenia to Prague, Vienna and other cities of the West. Italians and Germans eagerly made their home in Krakow, while Dutchmen in Gdansk (Danzig), where the uncle of Rembrandt van Rijn’s second wife, Hendrijke Stofless, ran a shop selling engravings and paintings by Dutch Masters . Armenians and natives of the Orient flowed in from the opposite direction bringing their taste, which enhanced local aesthetic habits. Poland was once a large, powerful and rich country, which promoted the development of art and attracted artists from all over the world. It is common knowledge that art blossoms in golden rains, and hardly vegetates where gold trickles in reluctantly. What prompted artists to arrive in such great numbers was the hospitality and open-mindedness of Polish society. Polish craftsmen and artists also travelled widely in Europe with a similar purpose. Therefore, Gothic felt at home and thrived in this country, created by masters of the calibre of Veit Stoss (who called himself Wit Stwosz during his stay in Krakow), just like the Italian-invented Renaissance, which was followed in architecture e.g. by Bartolo Berecci, or – in northern parts of the country – by van dem Blocke, Tylman of Gameren and a host of other foreign artists and Polish representatives of European styles in art. Parallel to these styles, a different native stream developed, rooted in the ancient ‘wood culture’, which is characteristic of this territory. Unlike southern Europe, where the great styles were formed, Poland was poor in stone but rich in timber. The tradition of wooden architecture was so strong and so inherent that in the 17th century palaces in Warsaw and other cities, as well as country mansions were still built of wooden logs laid on the building frame, though they remained purely Baroque in style. A timber house was warm in wintertime and cool in the summer, and it stayed dry even in the densest mists and heaviest downpours. It lived its own life and was more intimate than stone. Last but not least, it was three times cheaper than a brick house, which was not immaterial. The building material has an obvious and logical impact on the shape of the building. Long, thick pine or larch logs imposed their requirements: the houses spread wide and fairly low, because comfort rather than attractive appearance was the priority for the residents Any discussion of architecture proceeds from functionality to philosophy, psychology, patriotism and other issues of an intellectual nature. With time, rational argumentation was put away, which was not hard to do: there was nothing to impede the building of this type of houses as space was always ample. The expanses of flat lands made high-rise constructions senseless particularly since vertical defence was replaced with horizontal defence, i.e. demolishing engines of war were invented, the efficiency of which challenged the purpose of building high-walled fortresses. The Renaissance and Baroque periods saw the medieval idea of universalism succumb to national self-identification processes, which was observed for example in the development of national costumes and architectural styles. In Poland, too, the process was reflected in local costumes and architecture. The concept of a Polish building style was first documented by the anonymous author of the handbook Brief Instruction in Building Castles, Mansions and Palaces According to Heaven and the Polish Custom, which was published in 1659 and refuted foreign architecture, including the Italian Renaissance and Baroque. The author’s prime objection was that ‘…There houses are built to keep people cool, while here they are built to keep us warm.” He suggested that in lieu of foreign models, Poland should follow a native style to be tailored to the local custom and the unique character of Polish architecture: ‘…The vestibule and the dining room are always large in Polish houses, and hospitalitas, merry play inside them, and good company should be gay and fair…’. Brief Instruction opts for single-storey houses, ‘…Where no-one lives under or above me, rumbles above my head or blows smoke in my face.’ And ‘…The means I would have to put into the floors, I would rather spend on roominess.’ Such houses ‘…Do not fall into ruin so soon or yield to winds,’ and have no ‘tiring staircases’. This way the concept of the Polish manor house (dwór) was sanctioned and began its triumphant career reaching as high as royal residences, for example Wilanów, which is more of an enormous and decorative Polish manor house than a grandiose palace in the Italian sense. The style spread ‘downwards’ as well, shaping the manors of the poor nobility (dworek) and even country cottages. As early as the 18th century the Polish dwór became a symbol of the Polish identity: Poland was wherever Polish manor houses were found, whether built of wood, brick or masonry, because the idea overcame matter. Even in the 19th century entire towns were designed according to the precepts of Brief Instruction, such as Lanckorona, which remains unique on the European scale. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, support, identity and hope was sought by the nation in the tradition of the Polish manor house. At that time, a combination of this tradition with the highlander architecture produced the so-called Zakopane style, which had a surprisingly wide and fast appeal in all three Polish sectors controlled by the partitioning powers. The style was grafted even onto lowland areas and the Baltic coast. Before the Great War and right after it the dworek style was very popular, particularly in the residential areas of army officers, mostly for its patriotic associations. It was not long before socialist realism prevailed. Any distinguishing national features were looked on unfavourably, at times eradicated, especially if they originated from the traditions of the landed gentry, i.e. the ‘alien class’, the ‘bloodsuckers’ and ‘enemies of the working people of town and country’. With the collapse of socialism, a new postmodernist dworek style emerged like a deus ex machina. It was still a single-storey construction with a pillared porch and a high, double-slanted roof as postulated by the author of Brief Instruction (quite rightly called ‘the Polish roof’), vast and snug, made to be comfortable rather than to impress. Entire housing developments are again built in this style, and wood is coming back into favour. It is the same wood that was used to built Gothic-shaped churches, such as the 15th century one in Dębno in the Podhale region. Fair enough, because European culture manifests itself through and exists thanks to particularities, whose sum it essentially is. This culture is a perfect reflection of the idea of ‘variety in oneness and oneness in variety’, from which the attraction, strength, vitality and sense of unity of the European culture stem. Be able to receive and have something to share – this rule best describes its philosophy and gives a new, momentous meaning to efforts aimed at cherishing local individualism in the united Europe.
Industry, Trade and Finance Association of Poland for Polish Culture and Arts
In this edition of Polish Art & Antiques Magazine, six company members of The Industry, Trade and Finance Association of Poland Leviathan are advertised: PKO Bank Polski, Polkomtel S.A. – Plus GSM, PLL LOT, TUiR Warta S.A., Bank PEKAO SA and Konsalnet. They are just a selection of the country’s leading sponsors of culture and arts, winners of numerous prizes and awards in patronage. Let us overview briefly their efforts to support Polish culture and arts.
PKO Bank Polski
PKO Bank Polski has been involved extensively in sponsorship and charity. It is very consistent in implementing the program entitled PKO Bank Polski for National Culture, which was initiated with the production of the film Chopin – Hunger for Love. So far, the bank has focused on sponsoring musical projects, and together with the Sinfonia Varsovia and the National Theatre Opera Ensemble has prepared a series of concerts under the common heading With Hope and Music Towards the United Europe. Today, by sponsoring the exhibition of Bolesław Cybis’s works PKO Bank Polski has set out on a new track of patronising museums. The plans are to reach beyond the building of the National Museum in Warsaw and create a gallery in the bank’s headquarters at 15 Puławska Street, where vernisages will be combined with interesting music concerts. Apart from new sponsorship projects, PKO Bank Polski will keep partaking in the most significant regular artistic events in Poland, such as the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival in Krakow, The Actor’s Song Festival in Wroclaw, the Camerimage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography in Lodz, the Piano Concerts in Żelazowa Wola and the Chopin Festival in Duszniki Zdrój. PKO Bank Polski’s cultural contribution was appreciated and awarded by the Minister of Culture with the 2001 Patron of Culture Award.
POLKOMTEL S.A.
Plus GSM
Polkomtel S.A., the operator of the Plus GSM digital network is not only the leader on the Polish mobile telephony market. Polkomtel S.A. has a long and remarkable tradition of sponsoring Polish culture. In September 2002 the company received the 2001 Patron of Culture Award in acknowledgement of its sponsorship of top-rank artistic events in Poland. Please note that Plus GSM’s financial and organisational involvement contributed to the immense success of last year’s exhibition of French Impressionists’ works entitled From Manet to Gaugin. Plus GSM also supports the Summer Film Festival in Kazimierz Dolny, and its latest initiative was to sponsor Roman Polański’s film The Pianist. Last September, Polkomtel S.A. received its third Patron of Krakow Culture Award, and the statue of Stańczyk in the category of ‘Most creative and effective support’. And if it had not been for Polkomtel’s support, Krakow’s Jagiellonian Library would not have been enhancing its collection, the buglers in St. Mary’s Church would not have been given a new trumpet, and the Stary Theatre, Gazeta Antykwaryczna, and the Villa Decius could not afford promoting themselves, not to mention numerous other cultural institutions and associations in Krakow.
PLL LOT AIRLINES
As the best known and highly valued Polish brand, LOT engages in a variety of prestigious artistic projects, local, European and international alike, run by the National Museum in Warsaw, the Filharmonia Narodowa, The National Opera, the Zachęta Art Gallery, as well as the Frederic Chopin Association and Foundation. Participation in these projects earned LOT the reputation of an ambassador of Poland. This title is obliging, therefore, the promotion of Polish culture and traditions is the top priority in the carrier’s sponsoring activities. LOT has had the pleasure to serve celebrities such as: the winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature Wisława Szymborska and Czesław Miłosz, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Poland, Lech Walesa, the Film Academy Award winner Andrzej Wajda, Elżbieta and Krzysztof Pendereckis, M¶cisław Rostropowicz, Barbara Hendricks, Richard Chamberlain, William Wharton, Sophia Loren, José Cura and lots of other world-famous scientists, actors, politicians and sportsmen.
TUiR WARTA S.A.
The WARTA Foundation, which was established in May 1999 by the insurance agency TUiR WARTA, a long-lived sponsor of some noted projects in arts, science and sports, is a regular partner of the National Opera, the Kordegarda Gallery, the Zachęta Art Gallery and the National Museum in Warsaw. In 2000 WARTA contributed to the W. S. Reymont Foundation’s efforts to publish the writer’s complete works. In Autumn 2001, WARTA was a sponsor of A Tribute to Norwid, a concert that marked the 180th birthday of the Polish Romantic poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid. In November 2001 WARTA received an honourable mention in the 2000 Patron of Culture contest for financing the renovation of the Jasna Góra monastery tower in Częstochowa. A year later the company was cited at the 2001 Patron of Culture contest for its financial contribution to renovation works in St. Anna’s Church in Warsaw. Thanks to its sponsorship, The Family Picture of Poles and the Pope could be taken during the pontiff’s mass in Krakow’s Błonia on August 18th, 2002. The 1.5 million pilgrims who attended the service can now recognise themselves in this panoramic poster photo.
BANK PEKAO SA
Ever since it was founded in 1929, Bank Pekao SA has been an active supporter of significant artistic projects in Poland. Thanks to its sponsorship the opera show Viva Moniuszko – Viva Verdi was staged in Warsaw’s Teatr Wielki in 1999. A year later the same theatre hosted two world-famous opera singers: Kiri Te Kanawa and Kathleen Battle. In June 2001 Bank Pekao SA sponsored the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s Othello, directed by Mariusz Treliński in Teatr Wielki. On November 13th, 2002 the opera was performed with José Cura singing the lead part. Since 2001 the bank has supported the Theatrum Gedanense Foundation, which has initiated the project of rebuilding the Teatr Gdański (The Gdańsk Fencing School of School), the first Polish theatre dating back to the early 17th century. The Shakespeare Festival, which the Foundation organises, is made possible by Bank Pekao SA In cooperation with its strategic shareholder UniCredito Italiano Financial Group, Bank Pekao SA sponsored a concert which celebrated the Pope’s 70th birthday, and was held in the Vatican on May 18th, 2002 with the participation of the London Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Gilbert Levine, a choir conducted by Robert Dean, and starring the soloists Rebecca Evans (soprano), John Almer (tenor) and John Tomlinson (bass).
KONSALNET
The KONSALNET Group has supported a host of artistic projects in Poland. For example, recently it sponsored The Hope and Memorial Concert devoted to the victims of Sep. 11th, which was staged in the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw under the patronage of the President of Poland. In addition, the company provides safeguarding services for rare works of art. One might say this has become its ‘house special’. KONSALNET’s most memorable ventures were the protection of Salvador Dali’s prints, the exhibition Polish Paris held in the Wroclaw Town Hall, the shipment of Adam Mickiewicz’s manuscript of the Polish epopee Pan Tadeusz to the Ossolineum publishing house in Wroclaw, and protection of the International Fair of Jewellery and Clocks, where a reconstructed costume of a Scythian princess was on display. KONSALNET’s upcoming project is the safeguarding of the shipment of Bruno Schulz’s unique murals.
BUDIMEX SA
BUDIMEX has a tradition of supporting young budding artists. In late 1999 the windows of the company’s headquarters in Wspólna Street, Warsaw were turned to a gallery named Okna Budimeksu (Budimex’s Windows). The artists exhibiting in the Okna Budimeksu Gallery can count on the company’s help, which does not cease on the shows' closing date.
Polish Art & Antiques Magazine would like to acknowledge the contribution from other sponsors as well, POLSKI HANDEL SPOŻYWCZY S.A., OTWARTY RYNEK ELEKTRONICZNY S.A.
Jerzy Huczkowski
ANTIQUE SHOPS & GALLERIES Illustrated Guide Krakow – Warsaw – Poznan – Gdansk - Wroclaw At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, when political changes had revolutionised Poland, the art and antiques trade began developing vigorously. The first auction houses were opened and the record prices bid for Polish paintings were widely commented on in the media. Collecting works of art and antiques became fashionable among Polish business people and the political and financial elite. Over the past ten years the number of antique shops and galleries has grown ten times thanks to the rising popularity of art, antiquities and collectibles surging up in ever wider circles of Polish society. In this respect we are growing ever closer and more similar to the EU countries, whose interest in what this market has to offer is well known. In this illustrated guide we present over a hundred antique shops and galleries in five Polish cities. I hope it will prove interesting and useful for all our foreign readers who live in Poland or plan to visit the country.
KRAKOW
Desa, Salon no. 1, Auction House,
>Krakow, ul. Floriańska 13, tel. (+48 12) 422 19 66
www.market.com.pl/desa
Located on the first floor of a townhouse in Florianska St., this Desa salon is worth stopping by at least to look around the room decorated with old frescos and a richly profiled late-Gothic portal. This is one of the most exquisite interiors in Krakow. Paintings, decorative works of arts (fine silver, porcelain, and other) and furniture are the regular stock here. What makes it different from other antique shops is its rich offer of Polish and foreign numismatic items, medals, distinctions, emblems and badges. In co-operation with Desa in Rzeszow it stages specialist auctions three to four times a year. These are the only vendues of this type in Poland. The experienced antique dealers who run the salon cannot complain of poor custom. The wide-ranging stock attracts crowds of collectors from all over Poland. In addition, the salon holds quarterly general auctions during which paintings and articles of decorative arts come under the hammer. The building houses a number of Desa showrooms.
Antykwariat AB,
Krakow, Rynek Główny 43, tel. (+48 12) 421 69 03
Looking through the shop window into AB’s salon one might have the impression that this is one of a raft of tiny shops offering small items of decorative arts. In fact, the narrow room on the ground floor gives only a preview of what the place has in store. There are more showrooms upstairs, which makes AB one of the larger antique emporiums in Krakow. It specialises in painting, furniture and various areas of decorative arts. Its house specials are militaria, and clocks and watches, which have been the owner’s passion for thirty years. Most of the timepieces on offer were made in the 19th century, but one may come by items dating from the 17th or 18th century. The art historians who work here emphasise that AB casts around for pieces by Polish horologists, which are very rare on the market. This kind of specialisation calls for close co-operation with the best clockmakers. The oldest militaria that turn up at AB are from the 16th century and the newest ones from the 19th century. The owner’s experience in this area is backed up with the expertise of the museum workers who collaborate with the salon.
Galeria Antique,
Krakow, ul. ¦w. Tomasza 19, tel. (+48 12) 421 79 44
Briefly speaking, it is classy at Antique. All the daintiness of this Romanesque interior has been brought out perfectly, and the late Gothic relief depicting the Annunciation has been turned into the ‘logo’ of the place. In its effort to attain visual orderliness Galeria Antique, in its own unique way, challenges the dismal rule whereby mess and chaos have to be inherent features of an antique shop. The clarity of display and the good lighting allow the objets d’art to radiate with their full beauty. This approach conveys respect for art and visitors alike. The gallery has antique paintings (including icons), silver, porcelain, glass, jewellery, and timepieces. The period furniture looks particularly attractive, often yielding interesting single pieces or full suites from the 19th or early 20th century. The staff of the salon are art historians, who offer expert opinions and valuations. Special orders are accepted as far as possible.
Antykwariat Rara Avis,
Krakow, ul. Szpitalna 7/4, 1p. (+ 48 12) 429 16 42
www.raraavis.krakow.pl
Szpitalna St. is home to one of the most important Polish antique bookshops. The first of its rooms will certainly attract poster fans. In the adjacent central room other objects are garnered in glass cabinets and folders, on tables and bookshelves. Manuscripts, antique publications, proofs of engravings, atlases, maps and leaflets are always in stock. The shop specialises in pre-1945 publications. Rarities, in other words. The principal form of business is sale by auction. Vendues are usually held five times a year, three of them devoted to incunabula, ancient prints, cartography, etc., and the other two to postcards. The regular client will receive an auction catalogue. Rara Avis boasts of taking in highly valuable books and maps, like the 17th and 18th century atlases that went up not so long ago. Its varied stock is not limited to top-drawer articles. Tenderfoot collectors should be reminded that when setting-up a collection what they need above all is a concept and consistency, not necessarily a fortune. At Rara Avis expert advice can always be counted on.
AKA Salon Antyków i Galeria,
Krakow, ul. Pułaskiego 5, tel. (+48 12) 267 62 63
www.antykiaka.com.pl
If you are looking for period furniture, go across the Vistula. In the Dębniki quarter Józef Męcina-Krzesz once had his painting atelier. Today the historic studio houses the antique shop AKA. The salon specialises in furnishing interiors with antique furniture. Clients can either have appropriate pieces selected, or select something from current stock themselves. Some of the objects are presented on the shop’s web site. AKA renders restoration services as well. As an addition to its offer, the salon sells porcelain and decorative collectibles, although the choice is limited. Paintings are available here too. The tall and spacious room with its large skylight is a good setting for monumental canvases. Awaiting a buyer is a double-sided Biedermeier desk: at one side of it you can work seated, at the other – standing. It really is something to write home about. And to buy.
Dom Aukcyjny Ostoya,
Krakow, ul. Grodzka 6, first floor, tel. (+48 12) 429 54 39
www.aukcjeostoya.pl
The Ostoya Auction House stages its auctions in Warsaw, but it has a branch in Krakow, in the close vicinity of the central Market Square. Recently, the company pulled out all the stops on the refurbishment of the outlet to provide the customer with the ideal conditions for viewing all the works on offer. The auction house displays chiefly Polish painting, focusing on works by the most celebrated artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Another area that the house specialises in is decorative arts, which range in period from the 17th to the 20th century (timepieces, porcelain, silver and bronze articles). From time to time the offer includes furniture, but somewhat older, i.e. dating from the 18th century. Declaring its interest in the most distinguished, museum-class works of art, Dom Aukcyjny ‘Ostoya’ draws on the knowledge of art historians who are experienced in the art business. It co-operates with reputable experts and leading Polish museums. ‘Ostoya’ offers a free art work description and valuation service, arranges for expert opinions, and carries out preparatory art preservation.
Antyki - biżuteria R. Kaczmarczyk,
Krakow, ul. Grodzka 10, tel. (+48 12) 422 85 31
www.antyki.de
Of all the cities in Poland, Krakow enjoys the reputation of being the place where inexpensive antique jewellery of good quality is relatively easiest to find. When hunting for jewellery and timepieces one of the places to visit is Mr. Roman Kaczmarczyk’s antique shop. With a little bit of luck one may find 19th century Art Nouveau or Art Deco objects which are made with great artistry and purity of style. Naturally, there are a lot of precious Russian or Austrian articles to choose from, which date back to the early 20th century. The owner is a historian whose experience in the antiques trade started in 1977, and ever since has been systematically enhanced through attendance of practical courses for antique dealers. Not immaterial for the buyers is the fact that the salon works in close and constant co-operation with the Janicki brothers, famous jewellers and expert clockmakers. The shop guarantees the accuracy of the expert opinions prepared for the objects it sells. Lovers of other decorative arts or paintings may stop by too, though these areas are not the salon’s forte.
Uta Kalinowska Antyki - Starocie,
Krakow, ul. Gołębia 3, tel. (+48 12) 430 24 24
And here is something for treasure hunters. Do you remember scenes from adventure films with a swashbuckler bravely hacking through a jungle? This skill may come in handy when you visit Uta Kalinowska’s antique shops. It is a hodgepodge of beautiful and mysterious objects: scores of decorative works of arts, small pieces of furniture or antique useful objects. But it is sacral art that plays the key role here. This is the only shop in Krakow that specialises in this type of art. It is at Uta Kalinowska’s where you can find your Guardian Angel or a figure of St. John Nepomucen, which will protect you from libel or floods. If you need clarification on the intricacies of style or iconography ask the art historians on the premises. The salon offers expert opinions from museum workers, consultation on creating and enlarging collections, as well as free assistance in decorating interiors. The microclimate of the salon is truly unrepeatable.
Polski Dom Aukcyjny SZTUKA,
Krakow, Pałac Larischa, pl. Wszystkich ¦więtych 6, tel. (+48 12) 429 14 13,
Warsaw, Hôtel de Saxe, Krakowskie Przedmie¶cie 33, tel. (+48 22) 827 00 50
www.sztuka.com.pl
Polski Dom Aukcyjny “SZTUKA” was founded in 1997 on the initiative of a group of collectors, art historians, antiquaries and patrons of the arts connected to the Krakow chapter of the Rotary Club. Its first auctions were held in Pałac Sztuki TPSP (the Palace of the Arts) in Krakow, later in Pałac Larischa (the Larisch Palace), and at present in the Zachęta Gallery in Warsaw. Ongoing sales of antiques are conducted at the two main seats of the auction house, the Larisch Palace in Krakow and, since October 2002, in the Hôtel de Saxe (Hotel Saski, Krakowskie Przedmie¶cie) in Warsaw. It concentrates mainly on painting (Polish and foreign), sculpture and decorative art. The works it has to offer include high-class canvases by old masters and contemporary artists. Auctions at “SZTUKA” attract paintings by some of the best artists, including Henryk Stażewski, Tadeusz Kantor, Jerzy Nowosielski, Tadeusz Brzozowski and Ryszard Winiarski. The “SZTUKA” auction house also holds exhibitions. To date, shows have included the works of Stasys Eidrigevičius (1999), Adam Bunsch (2000), Ryszard Winiarski, Aleksander Kobzdej, Joanna Sarapata and Krystyna Schwarzer-Litwornia (2002). Each exhibition is accompanied by beautiful, expertly researched catalogues. “SZTUKA” collaborates with antique shops in other Polish cities. The standard of service is professional, and, which is also important, it is a welcoming place.
Desa, Salon no. 6,
Krakow, ul. Grodzka 8, tel. (+48 12) 421 54 54
The Desa Salon in Grodzka St. is very well known to collectors of decorative fabrics, in which the shop has specialised for many years. Hand-made carpets, particularly from the late 19th century, are side by side here with Caucasian and Persian rugs, Buchach fabrics, throwovers and jacquard tapestries. These articles are more and more infrequent on the Polish market. The showroom’s other basic lines are painting (with 19th and 20th century, or even older canvases coming in from time to time) and decorative arts. Interesting pieces of porcelain and jewellery occasionally turn up too. The competence of the staff is the shop’s chief asset: they all have university degrees in art history and professional experience to back up their knowledge. The head of the salon is a court expert in arts. Apart from expert opinions, the salon acts as an agent in arranging for renovation of the merchandise sold. Desa salons sell through the Internet as well. But this should be treated as the last resort: visiting the showroom should definitely be a priority.
Art De&Co. Kolekcjonerska Galeria Przedmiotów dawnych i nowych,
Krakow, pl. Dominikański 4, first floor, tel. (+48 12) 423 22 46
The antique shop Art De&Co is run by Marek Sosenka, a well-known collector. His multifarious interests have given rise to books, articles and lectures addressed to collectors, and his long-lasting passion is reflected in the wide offer, which takes account of clients’ varied means. Those who share the owner’s fascination with Art Deco will spend hours here trying to add to their collections and knowledge. In this antiques emporium, which occupies several rooms, one wanders amongst sensational furniture, lamps, glass, silver and bric-a-bracs from the 1920s and 1930s, as well as other periods. Obviously, paintings and prints are available too. Curio seekers will find interesting printed advertisements and postcards. The owner offers help with creating collections and looking for even the most unusual objects. One more remark: there is quite an attraction for cineastes and admirers of the Polish school of poster art: a few thousand posters by Polish masters. A good lot to choose from!
Antyki Józefa,
Krakow, ul. Józefa 9, tel. (+48 12) 430 66 38
The humorous sign ‘Antyki Józefa’ marks one of the youngest antique salons in Krakow. It is run by Agnieszka Fry¶, an art historian with experience in art trade. She offers the full range of antique services, expert opinions and professional valuations. Krakow’s former Jewish district of Kazimierz is a good place to search for valuable pieces of painting, decorative arts, clocks and watches. Highly interesting is the glassware: recently a ravishing glass coffee set was up for sale, representing the Art Deco style, which is particularly popular with young people. In view of its rich offer of vases, bowls, ashtrays, decanters etc. the place is worth recommending to everyone looking for an offbeat present. The stock of furniture is meagre but carefully selected, therefore if you need a single piece of period furniture this is the place to drop by. The shop’s clear, modest but at the same effective display, which sets off the items to their best advantage, deserves commendation. Visitors are bound to appreciate the owner’s tact and competence.
Galeria - Lombard ANTYK,
Krakow, ul. Smoleńsk 22, tel. (+48 12) 422 26 32
If you are looking for a lamp, the Antyk gallery is a must. Although it is located outside the very centre of the old town, the choice is unparalleled in Krakow. The gallery has something to offer those who like elegant interiors and are fond of the good old aesthetic taste. But the address should also be remembered by those who like to toy with objects and do not take antique art pieces too seriously. Dozens of inspiring objects are available here. The geometry of nickel Art Deco lamps will go perfectly well with modern furniture. A 19th century crystal chandelier might become a fun feature in a minimalist interior. The range of lamps is vast, from floor lamps and desk lamps to chandeliers and sconces, etc. The lamps throng two showrooms, so you needs to strain your imagination to discern their aesthetic potential. The antique shop sells period furniture, paintings and minor decorative works of arts as well. In addition, it runs an in-house furniture and lamps restoration workshop.
Salon Antykwaryczny Nautilus,
Krakow, ul. ¦w. Tomasza 8, tel. (+48 12) 422 91 60
www.antique.com.pl
Nautilus gives its customers a chance to enhance both their collections and their knowledge. One of the most dynamic antique shops in Krakow, Nautilus sells works of art from its salon or by auction, stages shows, and publishes painstakingly prepared catalogues and papers on art. Nautilus’ offer is addressed to enthusiasts of the graphic arts, (16th to 20th century), drawings (18th to 20th century), and painting (19th and 20th centuries). The salon is a vigorous promoter of 20th century painting, appreciation of which is on the rise. A sensation on the antique market was a monographic exhibition of works by Leopold Lewicki, an artist associated with the Krakow Group, which was organised here in 2001 and travelled to a number of Polish cities. Recently, the gallery presented canvases, sculptures and prints by Stanisław Wójtowicz, and an exhibition of the contemporary artist Allan Rzepka’s output is coming up shortly. The term ‘antique salon’, which is often overused, in the case of Nautilus reflects the character of the place perfectly.
Krakowski Antykwariat Naukowy,
Krakow, ul. ¦w. Tomasza 8, tel. (+48 12) 421 21 43
www.antkrak.krakow.pl
Next door to Nautilus, Krakowski Antykwariat Naukowy found its home. The shop window, where miniature theme exhibitions are staged, is an irresistible invitation to pop in. On display are old prints, 19th century publications, prints, maps, postcards, medals, photographs, i.e. everything that the shop specialises in. The displays are not only a presentation of the current offer, but can also serve as a reminder of the upcoming Christmas time or historical anniversaries, or they refer to current cultural events. Specialising in old prints and cartography, this salon is both a shop and an auction house. Its stock runs into the hundreds of items, and is presented on the salon’s web site, along with a catalogue of the pieces put up for auction. Please note that Krakowski Antykwariat Naukowy has the largest inventory of art books and magazines of all Krakow’s antique shops.
Dom Aukcyjny Rempex,
Krakow, ul. Jagiellońska 6a, tel. (+48 12) 421 88 62
www.rempex.com.pl
Auctions are organised sporadically at the Krakow branch of Rempex (which uses the Vickerey system). The house’s offer includes works that did not sell at auctions in Warsaw. It is worth mentioning that the prices of such pieces are cut down on the expiration of the period prescribed in the Rempex Sale Procedure. True to the profile of Rempex, its Krakow branch does not have its own specialisation. Paintings, antique furniture and pieces of decorative art are in permanent supply. The expert opinions published in auction catalogues for the works on offer are prepared by the agency Art Konsultant. The Krakow branch of Rempex employs experienced antique dealers, an art historian among them.
Salon Dzieł Sztuki,
Krakow, ul. ¦w. Jana 3, tel. (+48 12) 421 98 72
Salon Dzieł Sztuki at 3 ¦w. Jana St. is where aficionados of dark and dusty interiors of antique galleries will feel at home. The salon’s mainstay is Polish and European painting of the 19th and 20th centuries, a large and good selection of which is available here. The items include works by Witkacy and Karpiński. In the vitrines along the salon fine porcelain, jewellery and pieces of decorative arts are displayed. Also lamps and bronze or wooden sculptures are always on sale. The supply of furniture is fairly meagre, usually limited to single small pieces. The competence of the art historian working here, combined with his/her experience in the antique trade, is a guarantee of decent service. The salon ensures expert opinions and valuations by professionals, and, if needed, painting restoration services and advice on interior decoration.
Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny,
Krakow, Rynek Główny 45, tel. (+48 12) 429 12 17
www.sda.pl
In the 16th century, the Eagle House harboured an apothecary. Today, some apothecary cabinets with an eagle motif are the only elements that remind us of the past of the room on the ground floor. In the place of healing potions the cabinets store objets d’art as this old building is now home to the local branch of the Sopot-based Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny, which works in close co-operation with auction houses and museums all over Poland. Its principal business is auction sales and selling antiques. It specialises in Polish and foreign painting as well as old jewellery. In line with its profile, Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny employs a jewellery expert, and offers expert opinions on paintings. It also offers silver and porcelain. As space is limited, the stock of furniture is minimal. Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny provides consultation, valuation and minor restoration services. But this is not a complete list of attractions: the salon’s business is conducted under the watchful eye of Tadeusz Kosciusko, whose portrait is painted on one of the walls and who lived here in 1775.
Antykwariat Wójtowicz,
Krakow, ul. Floriańska 15, first floor, tel. (+48 12) 422 73 26
www.antykwariat.wojtowicz.krakow.pl
“Floriańska 15” is an address with which habitués of Krakow antique shops are well familiar. The bread and butter of the shop is post-war academic books but the venue is particularly appreciated for its range of books of historical value: incunabula, old prints (16th to 18th century), as well as books from the 19th century and the inter-war period. Collectors of manuscripts will find a lot of interesting items too. The neat display of maps and prints is praiseworthy. Twice a year the shop holds antique book auctions. Regular customers may also expect catalogues, which are published five times a year and usually contain hundreds of items, so the choice is immense. The current offer is published on a professionally designed web site.
Desa, Salon no. 3,
Krakow, ul. Floriańska 13, tel. (+48 12) 422 70 41
www.desa.art.pl
The building at 13 Floriańska St. houses a number of salons. Salon no. 3 is located on the ground floor, right next to the front door of the building. The exposition in this vast showroom features antique paintings, prints, decorative arts, furniture and militaria. The most conspicuous is furniture. By way of consolation for less wealthy lovers of historical interiors let me say that beside pricey period furniture, copies are available too. The salon’s other favourites are Persian and Caucasian rugs, kilims, kontoush belts and other fabrics, which are becoming more and more difficult to spot in Polish antique shops. They include small pieces of fabrics, and king-size carpets, which are in demand for large rooms. Apparently, very popular are the curios: copies of royal cannons from the 16th and 17th century.
Desa, Salon no. 2 Lombard,
Krakow, ul. Floriańska 13, tel. (+48 12) 421 89 87
www.desa.art.pl
Salon no. 2 is more difficult to find as it is located in the outbuilding of the townhouse occupied by Desa. The salon stretches over three rooms. In the first small room, there is a jumble of furniture, in the second paintings and decorative arts are displayed, while the real treasures of the emporium are displayed in the smallest room in the back. An impressive collection of icons is displayed in vitrines and on the ‘Wall of Icons’. The majority of them come from the 20th century, some are older than that. Beside Ruthenian, Ukrainian and Belorussian specimens, one may chance upon items from Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and the Carpathian Mountains. As Sławomir Szczółko, assistant in the salon and himself fascinated with icons admits, you can not only buy icons there, but also talk about them. Follow his recommendations because as the art connoisseur Sir Ernst Gombrich wrote, you see what you know. Only on the face of it is this a paradox.
Salon Antyków Connaisseur,
Krakow, Rynek Główny 11, first floor, tel. (+48 12) 421 02 34
www.market.com.pl/desa www.koneser.krakow.pl
While most Polish antique shops wait for custom, Connaisseur strives to be more active. Is has been involved in the organisation of a number of exhibitions, for example shows of the work of Zygmunt Waliszewski, Jacek Malczewski or Wlastimil Hoffman output. Sales of large topical collections are preceded by exhibitions and catalogues that accompany them. The shop’s personnel are experts in art and in selling art. The salon deals primarily in Polish painting of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, with a special emphasis on canvases by Munich painters, artists of Young Poland, Krakow landscapists and colourists. However, the inventory is not limited to Polish painting: Connaisseur offers furniture, sculptures and decorative works of art such as porcelain, silver, glass, clocks and watches, and carpets. To all this add free valuations and expert analysis reports for works by recognised authors.
Unikat,
Krakow, ul. Wi¶lna 10, tel. (+48 12) 421 94 99
www.dzielasztuki.com.pl
Rumour has it that this is the best place to look for old porcelain. A row of tables crammed with sundry dishes are enough to substantiate this claim, at least in terms of quantity. Beside porcelain, the shop sells furniture and a medley of decorative works of art, for instance a large selection of hanging lamps and oil lamps. Its regular clientele compliment the outlet for both its stock and the friendly atmosphere. The personnel are art dealers with over ten years’ experience. Those who perceive art works and works of decorative arts as witnesses to history can spend hours thrashing out the subject with the historian who runs this ‘warehouse of history’, as antique shops are often called.
aleria Hetmańska K. Kubica,
Krakow, Rynek Główny 17, tel. (+48 12) 421 33 74
www.hetmanska.com.pl
17 Central Market Square is the best address in Krakow you could think of. The Hetmańska building, one of the most magnificent medieval townhouses, has a gallery. Its interesting interior with its remains of stone frames and a wonderfully preserved 16th century ceiling basically solves the problem of interior design?. The gallery specialises in Polish painting of the late 19th and early 20th century, but beside works of Young Poland latter-day pieces are sold too. Apart from this one can come across single pieces of furniture from the late 19th century and some decorative works of art (fine porcelain and silver). The owner has been exploring art history and the antiques market for over twenty years, so more inexperienced collectors can visit the gallery to ask for help with setting up their collections. Galeria Hetmańska provides free valuations, expert opinions and restoration services, as appropriate.
Desa, Salon no. 7,
Krakow, ul. Stolarska 17, tel. (+48 12) 422 08 23
www.desa.art.pl
When looking for period decorations such as antique furniture or paintings, drop by the salon in Stolarska St. However, a visit to this place is also recommended to anyone seeking fine silver, jewellery or small decorative works of art. The third, fairly general category, covers chiefly 19th century luxury objects of daily use, for example cigarette cases or toiletry sets. It is a pity that this shop, where tiny objects are displayed, is submerged in all too dim light. Like other Desa salons, it co-operates with valuation experts, court experts and art historians, and its personnel is experienced and professional. The salon additionally offers artistic services, and is a middleman between its clients and restorers of art works.
Antyki-Militaria T. Otrębski,
Krakow, ul. Felicjanek 17, tel. (+48 12) 421 28 02
www.militariaantyki.com.pl
This antique shop is patronised by the Tadeusz Kosciusko Foundation, whose objective is to promote the history of Polish arms. Military history buffs will find sabres, bayonets, Turkish and Asian weapons, and old hunting weapons here. In addition, the antique shop sells military uniforms, outfits and medals, as well as battle scene paintings and trade literature. The majority of the rich offer is 19th and 20th century militaria. No wonder the place attracts not only collectors but also stage designers and decorators working for theatres and films. Antyki-Militaria provides valuations and expert opinions. Detailed information on the merchandise can be obtained from the owner, Tomasz Otrębski, a former museum curator and the author of books about militaria and Tadeusz Kosciusko.
Galeria Szalom,
Krakow, ul. Józefa 16, tel. (+48 12) 430 65 05
More and more marked galleries, antique shops and ‘junk shops’ are opening up in the district of Kazimierz. One of them is the Szalom gallery, which has a fairly rich, constant selection of Judaica. Its fabrics, menorahs, mezuzahs, besamim or lots of other cult objects may become precious additions to your collection. The owner, who claims expertise in the area, can explain their usage and date of manufacture. Judaica should be looked for in the farther room of the salon, because the front room is used to stage exhibitions of contemporary painting. Visitors to the gallery should step out into the little garden strewn with sculptures. Its climate and style is reminiscent of the early Piwnica pod Baranami cabaret.
Dom Sprzedaży Antykwarycznej,
Krakow, ul. Zamoyskiego 52, tel. (+48 12) 656 44 70
This house in Zamoyskiego St. is filled with furniture from basement to attic. Originally a venue of weekend jumble sales, the house has turned into an antiques shop. A majority of the furniture stock comes from the late 19th or early 20th century, but older items appear as well. The shop looks like grandma’s attic: if you decide to rummage for a dream armchair or desk or table, ignore the mess and the dusty haze, because with a little luck you may chance upon a piece of furniture of extraordinary or surprising form. Some of the furniture is sold after renovation, other pieces still require some restoration work. This is something for young people who prefer old furniture to be renovated in an inventive way rather than according to established taste and restoration practices. Apart from paintings, the stock includes paintings, decorative works of art and useful antique objects.
Artemis – Galeria Sztuki,
Krakow, ul. Starowi¶lna 21, tel. (+48 12) 422 03 94
A wide selection of contemporary paintings, sculptures, prints and photographs; figurative paintings in a metaphoric vein, colourism, the 1960s matiere painting. Great names and debuts. The gallery can assist in building up collections, provides consultation and lends art works ‘to try them out’.
Galeria Starmach,
Krakow, ul. Węgierska 5, tel. (+48 12) 656 49 15
www.starmach.com.pl
The Starmach gallery aims to present key developments in Polish post-war art: artists representing the Krakow Group and geometric abstractionism. It also works with artists of the middle-aged generation of well-established reputation, such as Marek Chlanda, Krzysztof Klimek, or Piotr Lutyński. Moreover, this is the only gallery in Poland that exhibits works by Magdalena Abakanowicz.
Galeria Zderzak,
Krakow, ul. Floriańska 3, tel. (+48 12) 429 67 43
www.zderzak.pl
A leading Polish gallery of contemporary art, founded in 1985 in Krakow. The site of debuts of numerous contemporary classics, the gallery is famous for its rich, carefully selected offer of pieces by artists such as Andrzej Wróblewski, Jarosław Modzelewski, Stefan Gierowski, Zbigniew Makowski, Grzegorz Sztwiertnia or the Ładnie Group (Maciejowski, Bujnowski, Sasnal). Two years ago it staged two shows of matičre painting, which were a revelation for the Polish market and which inspired a new interest in this movement. The gallery offers for sale a representative selection of works by matičre painters from the 1960s: Janusz Tarabuła, Danuta and Witold Urbanowicz, Jerzy Wroński, Jan Ziemski, Rajmund Ziemski. Apart from paintings, the gallery sells contemporary photographs by Piotr Jaros, Wojciech Wilczyk, Krzysztof Zieliński. It also provides artistic consultation services and carries out educational activities. The gallery’s publications distinguish themselves for their high editorial quality. Examples include Zbigniew Makowski’s, Jan Dobkowski’s, Jan Młodożeniec’s beautiful books devoted to their own artistic work, and recently Tomasz Ciecierski’s Brudnopisy, as well as lots of other unique publications.
Space Gallery, Galeria Autorska Barbara Zambrzycka-¦liwa,
Krakow, ul. Floriańska 13, tel. (+48 12) 421 89 94
www.spacegallery.com.pl
Its offer includes painting, sculpture and graphic arts of the 19th and 20th centuries and up to the present, and selected works of antique art. Additionally, the gallery features a permanent exhibition of sculptures by the owner, Barbara Zambrzycka-¦liwa. Temporary shows are staged here, and free valuations and expert opinions are provided. Moreover, the gallery runs an art studio where sculptures can be ordered.
Galeria Pod Rejentem,
Krakow, ul. Józefitów 11, tel. (+48 12) 423 36 86
www.podrejentem.com.pl
The gallery offers a vast array of paintings, sculptures and prints from the 1950s and 1960s. It holds around six individual exhibitions each year. At the moment, Lucjan Mianowski’s prints and paintings are on show.
Partyka Gallery,
Krakow, ul. Szpitalna 7, tel. (+48 12) 423 04 61
www.partykagallery.com.pl
This small but warm-toned interior displays a dozen or so paintings and sculptures. Not very many? Just the opposite, because each piece is carefully selected, and the setting is propitious for unruffled evaluation and making good decisions. Add a Polish 20th century painting that you find here and make you collection grow. There is only one way to comment on the current offer: just right. There is nothing accidental here. There are canvases by Biegas, Zak, Hayden, and, traditionally, paintings representing the École de Paris (or Paris School), e.g. Kisling’s Flowers. Collectors should be aware that the offer includes celebrated pieces which are mentioned in academic publications, such as Menkes’ Still Life. The offer is built up with the help of galleries in Tel Aviv and Paris. The gallery ensures expert assessment and advice for collectors. The current offer is published on the Internet but visits other than virtual are recommended too.
Warszawa
Antykwariaty Warszawskie Lamus,
Warsaw, ul. Nowomiejska 7, tel. (+48 22) 831 63 21;
Warsaw, ul. Nowomiejska 8, tel. (+48 22) 635 84 47;
Warsaw, ul. Rakowiecka 11, tel. (+48 22) 848 16 39
www.antykwariat-lamus.com.pl
This is the most important antique book shop in the capital. At its headquarters at 7 Nowomiejska Street it organises auctions and sells books, manuscripts, documents, maps and etchings (chiefly views of Poland and other countries, and historical themes). On the same street a separate branch of the shop specialises in graphic art (including high quality 20th century prints), and on Rakowiecka Street, as well as books and prints there are other works of art and decorative pieces. Auctions are held twice a year and accompanying catalogues are published. When cataloguing the works, the employees supplement their knowledge with opinions of experts from institutions such as the National Library and the Early Documentation Archives. Last year’s prize offering was a first edition of the works of Kepler from the library of Hevelius. Another valuable lot was a drawing by Norblin. Only for the very rich, perhaps, but market value is not always the client’s gauge. I am sure that any lover of Monadologia would love, for purely sentimental reasons, to have Leibnitz’s autograph, and the price was reasonable. Worth checking out on their Web site what’s on offer in advance.
Rempex. Salon Aukcyjny i Galeria,
Warsaw, ul. Karowa 31; ul. Krakowskie Przedmie¶cie 4/6, tel. (+48 22) 826 44 08
www.rempex.com.pl
Auctions are held at Rempex once a month, which makes is a very dynamic auction house. Bidding proceeds according to the traditional system or the Vickrey system. Works which do not get sold by auction are then offered in antique shops. Expert opinions for the items offered are prepared by the agency Art Konsultant. To prevent chaos, the pre-auction exhibits are composed in such a way as to show the works in a context appropriate for them. They are comprised of three sections: contemporary art, early art (including decorative arts and furniture), and paintings, drawings, prints and weapons. Beside this intense day-to-day business, Rempex stages thematic auction shows three to four times a year. A new type of service provided by Rempex is Internet auction cycles called Aukcje Specjalne (Special Auctions).
Antykwariat - Galeria Connaisseur,
Warsaw, ul. Waliców 11, tel. (+48 22) 583 91 91
www.artinfo.pl
Connaisseur has existed for 10 years, and recently relocated to the Aurum building. Fortunately, the frequent changes of address will not deter regular customers because the offer is worthwhile. What attracts the attention of new visitors to the Aurum building is the shop window, where a body of small decorative works of art, such as quality glass pieces, are on display. Beside articles of decorative arts, the salon sells paintings (including early paintings dating back to the 17th or 18th century) and furniture, the stock of the latter being fairly limited. The company’s brochures feature a Gothic Madonna, which is no accident, as the numerous wooden sculptures here merit special attention. Amongst the shop’s merchandise is a figure of Madonna with Child made around 1460, i.e. in times from which few artworks have survived in Poland. Its Baroque sculptures are interesting as well. The salon supplies not only private collections but also museums.
Jerzy Kozak. Dom Aukcyjny,
Warsaw, ul. Polna 21, tel. (+48 22) 825 93 35
Antique jewellery is becoming more and more popular. The old guard of collectors are increasingly being joined by young people who are impressed by the virtuosity of execution in former times. In Poland, too, although much of what goes under the hammer is painting, there are also jewellery auctions. Indeed, Jerzy Kozak, who can now boast 19 years in the trade, was the first to organise a jewellery sale after the war, and similar vendues, featuring both jewellery and watches, continue to take place. At the most recent, one of the lots was a tiepin bearing the Romanoff crown; Tsar Nicholas II would reward the court faithful with such diamond-studded dainties. There was also a late 19th century tourmaline and diamond brooch and some little silver elephants made by Julius Rapport for Fabergé. All the pieces up for auction are reproduced in catalogues. The company also restores, values and opinions antique jewellery, and sells new jewellery executed according to its own designs.
Dom Aukcyjny Agra-Art,
Warsaw, ul. Wilcza 55/63, tel. (+48 22) 625 08 08
www.agraart.pl
What does Agra-Art have to offer? Mostly Polish painting from the 19th and 20th centuries, and no mean painting at that. For example, recently one could purchase two Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s lithographs. Those with a predilection for other types of artwork could pick up Władysław ¦lewiński’s canvas Stock. Aside from Polish and foreign painting, silver, porcelain, jewellery and sculptures are here for sale as well. In 2000 Agra extended its offer of 20th century art. All objects are displayed in an elegant, professionally lit two-storey gallery. Auctions are not the only form of business at Agra: its day-to-day work is direct selling. Services available to clients include expert opinions, preservation, picture framing, as well as shipment of art works to designated addresses. A database of the salon’s stock is accessible on the Internet, which is also used to broadcast auctions live. One of the top achievements of this auction house is its publication of the album Malarstwo polskie w zbiorach polskich (Polish Paintings in Polish Collections).
Galeria Marek,
Warsaw, al. Witosa 31, tel. (+48 22) 640 14 62
www.galeria.marek.wp.pl
Marek Mielniczuk’s second gallery (his first is in Paris) is outside the city centre, in the Panorama shopping mall. Its location dictated modern decor: the walls are green, and the pictures hung on them are individually lit, the canvases reflecting off the black stone floor as if in a mirror. This creates a fantastic impression, especially after dark. The interior is the perfect foil for the gallery’s École de Paris canvases. It also has selected “Polish classics”, as well as a few pieces of furniture and utilitarian art, but all these are no more than sidelines to its main specialisation, the École de Paris painters. All the pictures on offer are owned by the gallery. Mr. Mielniczuk has participated in organising École de Paris exhibitions in France, and has several publications on the subject to his name. As befits such an experienced salesman who was instrumental in creating the collections of Tom Podl and Wojciech Fibak, he offers home consultations, and advice and a range of specialist literature in the gallery.
Dom Aukcyjny DESA Unicum and Galeria Arkady - Dzieła Sztuki i Antyki,
Warsaw, ul. Marszałkowska 34/50, tel. auction house: (+48 22) 621 66 19; gallery: (+48 22) 628 77 05
www.desa.pl
The Desa Unicum auction house continues the activities conducted by Unicum from 1988 to 1998. Since the new, merged firm was founded, the auction house and the gallery occupy several floors at the same address. Its impressive, several hundred metre square display space means that it can present a great many works. These include antique Polish and foreign paintings, pieces of decorative art, jewellery, and furniture. Desa Unicum also sees contemporary art. Pre-auction displays begin ten days ahead of bidding. Auctions are held eight times a year, and the selection of pieces to go under the hammer is made by a panel of experts. Auction catalogues are compiled by Professor Andrzej Ryszkiewicz, an expert in Polish and French art of the 17th-20th centuries.
M.D.M. Dzieła Sztuki i Antyki,
Warsaw, ul. Marszałkowska 43, tel. (+48 22) 629 24 80 and Plac Konstytucji 2
www.infoart.pl/mdm
Opposite Desa Unicum is the antique shop M.D.M. Small and without the solemnity of age (it was founded only two years ago), but definitely worth a look. The small space sets the careful selection of stock off well (furniture, rugs and chandeliers are displayed in the other, larger salon on Plac Konstytucji). Its short history does not mean lack of experience on the part of the owner, an art historian active in the antiques trade for a good twenty years. M.D.M. offers canvases by Polish and foreign painters, sometimes sculptures, 18th and 19th century furniture, fabrics, bronzes, clocks, porcelain, silver, icons and jewellery. Some of its pieces have attracted the attention of museums and found good homes in their collections. The owner professes to a wish to specialise in pieces of a high artistic standard, but happily this is not all he stocks. There are also interesting bibelots for all budgets. M.D.M. collaborates with an interior designer, who assists clients in arranging their purchases to best advantage. The shop on Marszałkowska Street is more than just a forum for transactions – its owner wants it to function as a meeting place for collectors and artlovers, something of a “discussion club”.
Warszawskie Centrum Numizmatyczne,
Warsaw, ul. Hoża 43/49, tel. (+48 22) 625 67 97
www.wcn.pl
The artist Benvenuto Cellini, in his Memoirs, presents medal design as a particularly prestigious activity, and was fond of boasting of his achievements in this discipline. Indeed, only the best artists tried their hand at designing numismatic pieces because it required great skill. Today numismatics provides interesting evidence of economic, political and artistic change. The owner of Warszawskie Centrum Numizmatyczne [the Warsaw Numismatics Centre] has been in the business for thirty years, and his stories certainly make this narrow specialisation sound attractive. The Centre offers coins, banknotes, medals, shares and bonds, as well as orders and distinctions. The pieces are segregated in a special 19th century cupboard, starting with medieval coins and ending with 20th century ones. Specialist literature is also available (the Centre supports the publication of papers on the subject). Twice a year it holds auctions, the catalogues for which are also accessible on the Internet. The day after the auction it organises a numismatics fair, which is an opportunity to meet and transact.
Galeria Dynasy,
Warsaw, ul. Leszczyńska 12, tel. (+48 22) 828 69 24
www.biurka.com.pl
Dynasy is an antique furniture shop. It is not the place to go, however, if you are looking to furnish your salon or dining room. No time for rest; this gallery is only for the hard-working, for it offers advice on and assistance in selecting furniture for the office or study. The owner has chosen to specialise: there are desks and secretaries (both antiques and unique contemporary items), office suites, libraries and other items of office furniture such as lamps, accessories, pictures and small sculptures. The furniture (all renovated) is displayed over two floors in typical office layouts. Each piece is accompanied by carefully chosen details – a lamp, a paperweight, etc. The shop takes special commissions for complete office furnishings, and provides expert opinions and valuations. Want to pep up your career? Why not start by refurnishing your office?
DESA Unicum, Galeria Staromiejska,
Warsaw, Rynek Starego Miasta 4/6, tel. (+48 22) 831 16 81
www.staromiejska.desa.pl
The Old Town Square has long been the home of this two-floor Desa Unicum gallery. It is designed in a traditional style as close as possible to the ideal interior of a 19th century burgher home. It offers furniture, Polish and foreign painting, silver, silver plate, china, fabrics and sculpture. It is well known above all for its large selection of antique weapons and icons. It used also to specialise in Oriental art, examples of which it still stocks, and although the range is not extensive this remains one of the few places where such exotica is to be found. Advice, consultations and special commissions are all offered by the art historians employed here, who collaborate with the largest galleries and auction houses in the country. The shop issues expert opinions, renovates works of art and provides a framing service, and organises transport once a transaction has been struck.
Dom Aukcyjny, Galeria Altius,
Warsaw, ul. Piwna 35/37, tel. (+48 22) 831 18 73
www.altius.internet.pl
Altius was founded in 1990 and held its first auction in the same year. Two years later it opened its gallery in a townhouse in the Old Town. Its owner, Ilona Zatorska-Antonowicz, is a former museum manager and curator, and it was this experience that formulated her philosophy. A work of art is more than an investment. Art stimulates the mind, the imagination and the curiosity. At Altius, before a piece is put on display for sale, it is carefully, expertly researched. Establishing its author and date, though important, are far from sufficient, and specialists in particular areas are called in to establish the provenance, style and meaning of each work. One of the services provided by the firm is cataloguing and completing collections. Altius has a wide variety of art, including often superb paintings such as its recent 15th century Florentine Madonna. The impressive range of ceramics sometimes includes early examples of Meissen china, Polish Korzec or 18th century English ceramics. The company specialises in Polish painting and antique side arms.
Antykwariat Nadine,
Warsaw, Plac Trzech Krzyży 18, tel. (+48 22) 621 63 18;
furniture store – Warsaw, ul. Połczyńska 77, tel. (+48 22) 665 85 22
www.antyki.waw.pl
The Warsaw art scene has become dominated by auction houses specialising in top class works. Luckily for many lovers and collectors, the capital also has more modest antique shops where one can actually walk in without having a preconceived strategy and simply buy something. Nadine is one of these. Furniture, pictures and a huge variety of decorative arts are crammed in almost up to the ceiling, but the young art historians who work here know exactly where everything is – which is just as well, for without their assistance it would be hard to find anything specific on a first visit. Expert opinions are ensured for more “heavy calibre” works. In addition to its city centre headquarters, Nadine also has a 300 m2 store where its antique furniture is displayed, and a virtual gallery and marketplace on the Internet.
Galeria Arka,
Warsaw, ul. Chmielna 2, tel. (+48 22) 827 17 06
www.arkagallery.pl
One of Warsaw’s largest antique shops, Arka’s lower two levels are occupied by a gallery of early art, while the third floor is devoted to contemporary art (with vernissages once a month). The gallery’s variety is without a doubt its strength. It specialises in 19th century silver tableware and decorative Warsaw silver plate, Polish painting, 18th and 19th century sculpture, crystal chandeliers, and jewellery. It also has 19th and 20th century period furniture, foreign painting, icons, prints, drawings, pewter, porcelain, ceramics, artistic glassware, fabrics, and Venetian mirrors. At Arka you will be served by young antiquaries who, albeit without the traditional “years of experience”, are nevertheless sufficiently competent to issue their own expert opinions on almost all their stock; outside specialists are only called in to deal with jewellery and timepieces. They also offer a framing service and renovations of works of art.
Galeria Akcji,
Warsaw, ul. Ordynacka 10/12, tel. (+48 22) 826 04 02
The rights conferred under these shares and bonds may have expired, but papers that have long since lost their value on the capital market are increasingly precious on the antiques market. This gallery trades in stock exchange history: shares, bonds, debentures, cheques, bills of exchange and insurance policies from all over the world. It also stocks graphic reproductions, books, postcards and letters from the industrial, banking and insurance sectors. A few dozen of the most representative positions are framed, and the rest (around 3,000-4,000 papers) are filed in 25 albums by subject. The gallery also offers a framing and renovation service. It will enter into correspondence transactions and items can also be purchased in Internet auctions on Allegro. Founded in 1993, the gallery will help in tracing the roots of joint-stock companies past and present, and will track down specific papers to individual order. On the basis of its experience, its well-stocked library and contacts with experts in this narrow field it will authenticate and value documents. Take along Grandad’s old stocks for a diagnosis of the family’s economic history!
Desa Unicum. Dzieła Sztuki i Antyki,
Warsaw, ul. Nowy ¦wiat 51, tel. (+48 22) 828 38 37
www.artinfo.pl
The icons displayed several rows deep as you walk in are only one of this antique shop’s specialisations; it is the decorative art that attracts the most interest here. There is always some 18th and 19th century silver in stock, as well as china from well-known European factories. In addition there are paintings by Polish and foreign artists, sculptures, and furniture. The Desa on Nowy ¦wiat is one of Poland’s oldest antique shops. It can rely on the experience of its employees and the assistance of museum experts to issue expert opinions and valuations (home visits also available). It also accepts special commissions to find items to complete collections. The variety of the articles that fill its light, spacious interior attracts art students, who sometimes even have lessons here.
Antykwariat Antiqua,
Warsaw, ul. Freta 19, tel. (+48 22) 831 54 72
www.artinfo.pl
Antiqua is a small antique shop well suited to the atmosphere of the Old Town. It sells prints, maps, antique publications and books. The walls are hung with selected framed works, while many others are spread out on tables and stands, suitably protected, to aid browsing and selection. 17th-19th century prints form a prominent part of the shop’s stock, as do maps. Antiqua tries to ensure that it has a generous selection of the attractive graphic reproductions that are so much sought after. Views of the city are also popular. The beauty of the prints is highlighted by particularly sensitive framing, and Warsaw experts are called in to provide advice and information on the works. Antiqua also provides contact with trusted restorers.
Dom Aukcyjny Polswiss Art,
Warsaw, ul. Wiejska 20, tel. (+48 22) 628 13 67
www.polswissart.pl
Four times a year Polswiss Art holds auctions of canvases by Polish painters and foreign artists with links to Polish circles. The auction house deals not only in antique art but also in contemporary painting and prints by eminent 20th century artists, such as the recent offerings of works by Leger and Moor. Polswiss Art specialises in painting of the Munich School and École de Paris, which is in particular demand on the Polish market. It can boast record prices at its auctions, which are held in the nearby Sheraton, which also hosts its pre-sale exhibitions. The good news for buyers is that they do not have to wait for an auction to come along – the company also sells antiques on a regular day-to-day basis. Responsive to its clients’ needs, Polswiss also accepts commissions to create collections and provide restorers’ and art historians’ opinions.
Antique&Art. Renata Olszewska,
Warsaw, ul. Nowy ¦wiat 33, tel. (+48 22) 828 45 45
www.antique-art.com.pl
The contrast between the refined forms of the antique jewellery and the state-of-the-art gemological testing equipment is what first strikes you as you enter this small salon, which sells only jewellery and good watches. Antique jewellery is nothing out of the ordinary in Polish galleries, but what sets this one apart is that it concentrates on high quality pieces and provides a truly professional service. That buzzword of our times – “professionalism” – takes on concrete meaning here, in the form of its “Certificate of the Sign of Quality” awarded by the Association of Jewellery Experts. When buying jewellery it is futile to trust a hunch, you need an expert. It is with pleasure, then, that I quote the following information:
“The firm is run by a jewellery expert – a specialist in diamonds, gemologist, graduate of the German Gemological Centre, (...) member of the German Gemological Society, the DGG”. Antique&Art sells and values jewellery and precious stones, and a master goldsmith restores antique and modern jewellery.
Dom Aukcyjny Ostoya,
Warsaw, ul. Freta 25, tel. (+48 22) 831 26 95; Warsaw, ul. Piwna 4, tel. (+48 22) 635 39 86
www.aukcjeostoya.pl
This auction house offers works by leading Polish artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as 17th and 18th century foreign painting. Among the most beautiful of recent propositions have been Wyspiański’s Nude boy and a portrait of a child by Wyczółkowski. In addition to painting, Ostoya also sells pieces of decorative art dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries: silver, bronzes, clocks, porcelain and glass. Among last year’s sculptures one certainly worthy of mention is Szymanowski’s Weeping Woman. Active since 1990, Ostoya has had time to gain experience and valuable contacts with experts, including museum managers and specialists. It can count on assistance in its selection of works of art, expert opinions and free valuations. Auctions are held six times a year. The house tries to ensure that the lots are well prepared – it restores works, frames pictures, publishes catalogues and holds exhibitions.
Atena–Antykwariat-Galeria,
Warsaw, ul. Gałczyńskiego 7, Warsaw, ul. Nowy ¦wiat 48, tel. (+48 22) 828 58 08
www.artinfo.pl
Atena is certainly not an exclusive art salon; this modest antique shop is more intent on offering pieces at a wide range of prices. This means that its clients also include younger collectors new to the hobby. The shop offers assistance in building up collections to the less experienced or very busy, and all its clients are welcome to use the art history library it has accumulated over the years. It sells 19th and early 20th century furniture (up to the 1930s), some of which requires restoring, while some is already restored. Its range of merchandise also includes canvases by Polish painters. The greatest selection is available to those seeking decorative art – including silver, bronzes, clocks and ceramics. The area that is closest to the hearts of the father and son team that runs the shop, however, is jewellery (for many years the father was a jewellery and sliver expert with Desa).
Panorama Art Gallery,
Warsaw, al. Witosa 32 shop no. 123, tel. (+48 22) 640 11 44
www.panorama.polbox.pl
The Panorama shopping mall is a must for every collector, as it is home to several antique shops and galleries, the largest of which is Panorama Art Gallery. The company was founded in 1993 as a gallery, and from its inception it organised exhibitions of the Polish 19th and 20th century painting that is still its specialist area today. In 1996, in its new gallery on Witosa Avenue, it held its first auction. In addition to Polish and foreign painting, Panorama also offers sculpture, furniture, clocks, china, silver, glassware and fireplace surrounds. It tries to meet the needs of its clients by seeking out the works of art they want. Before any of the canvases go on display they are carefully restored and suitably framed. Furniture is renovated by trusted, reputable experts. The owner draws on his antiquarian experience in France and Poland. The company employs art historians and collaborates with a number of experts.
Dom Aukcyjny Rempex. Galeria,
Warsaw, ul. Senatorska 11, tel. (+48 22) 826 60 09
www.rempex.com.pl
Rempex displays its pieces in four large rooms laid out in arrangements created by interior designers. Paintings and decorative pieces, such as ceramics, silver, clocks and bronzes serve chiefly to set off the furniture that forms the core of the business here; this salon specialises in organising antique furniture auctions. Naturally, most of the pieces on offer were made in 19th century cabinet-makers’ workshops. Nevertheless, Rempex’s strength is its considerable range of older furniture, which is a rarity in Polish antique shops. It provides expert information and opinions, and its employees, among them art historians, are on hand on a day-to-day basis to render assistance. Consultations with restorers of paintings and furniture, as well as gliders, can be organised, and transport is available for buyers.
Desa Unicum. Biżuteria dawna,
Warsaw, Nowy ¦wiat 48, tel. (+48 22) 826 44 66
www.desa.pl
This antique shop offers jewellery from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and the inter-war period. It has rings, cufflinks, earrings, brooches, pendants, tiepins, medallions, cameos, pearls and corals, as well as cigarette holders, powder compacts and pocket and wrist watches. The personnel have many years’ experience in the antiques business, while on certain days consultations are available with experts – jewellers, gemologists and horologists – who value and assess items. The company also undertakes repairs and alterations to jewellery.
Warszawski Antykwariat Naukowy Kosmos,
Warsaw, al. Ujazdowskie 16, tel. (+48 22) 628 65 82
www.zabytki.com.pl
What is to be sought in Cosmos? At least part of the answer to this somewhat philosophical question can be found in the large window displays of this Warsaw Scientific Antique Shop, which present many of the items in stock. Of particular interest are its old magazines. Among the piles of press publications from years gone by there are items of note from both a collector’s and scientific angle, and there are others of emotional value, such as issues of favourite magazines from years ago. Antique cartography is another of this shop’s specialist areas, and it also offers decorative prints. Kosmos takes orders for specific items and sends out bulletins of new positions to regulars. The owner is an expert in antique publications, and will issue expert opinions if necessary.
Art Market,
Piaseczno, ul. Chyliczkowska 24, (+48 22) 737 09 34
(restoration workshop), (+48 22) 737 09 35 (salesroom)
www.art-market.com.pl
Art Market has been operating for 13 years. Although it is now outside Warsaw, in nearby Piaseczno, it is worth knowing about, even if only because of its vast size. In fact, “antique shop” is almost a less appropriate name for it than “antiques warehouse”! Thousands of pieces of old furniture are held in its 600 m2 premises, along with pieces of applied art and painting. Patience is required to find something that catches your eye, or you can avail yourself of the assistance of one of the staff. The firm sets itself difficult challenges: renovations of historic buildings and comprehensive custom projects for antique or period interior furnishing. Art Market employs wood technologists, experienced furniture restorers and art historians, and a specialist issues expert opinions. A true “Art Supermarket”.
Galeria Zapiecek,
Warsaw, ul. Zapiecek 1, tel. (+48 22) 831 99 18
www.zapiecek.com
Zapiecek lives its own legend. Founded over thirty years ago, the gallery has from its inception been run by one and the same person, Mira Arens, a famed organiser of hundreds of exhibitions of contemporary Polish and foreign artists. Some of the shows have made history. In the past, the gallery had close links with top-rank artists, such as Stażewski (Zapiecek even earned the nickname of the Stażewski Family Gallery), Ziemski, Gierowski, Lenica, Kantor, Brzozowski and Winiarski. Today, both classical and young artists’ works are on display. Zapiecek is principally a painting gallery, however, sculptures and jewellery get presented here too.
Galeria Grafiki i Plakatu,
Warsaw, ul. Hoża 40, tel. (+48 22) 621 40 77
info.galerie.art.pl
This gallery has a clearly defined profile. Since its foundation in 1976 it has been offering prints, drawings, gouaches and watercolours, as well as archival posters and contemporary work by Polish artists. It also takes commissions for printing posters. It collaborates on a permanent basis with graduates of art schools in Kraków, Warsaw and ŁódĽ, holding individual, themed and group exhibitions. It has been instrumental in organising such projects as publications dedicated to the work of Starowieyski and Młodożeniec, and is one of the organisers of events in conjunction with the Warsaw International Poster Biennial.
Art NEW Media,
Warsaw, ul. Krakowskie Przedmie¶cie 41, tel. (+48 22) 814 32 97
www.artnewmedia.pl
The gallery specialises in the art of the second half of the 20th century, focusing primarily on the painting of the 1950s and 1960s, which is represented here by Stażewski, Lebenstein, Ziemski, Gierowski, Hasior and Dominik. Art NEW Media is a very dynamic organiser of exhibitions. For example, in 2001 it staged a retrospective of sculptures and painting compositions by Lis, as well as canvases by Kobzdej, an artists associated with matiere painting. Not restricting its scope to classics, Art NEW Media promotes selected active artists. Obviously enough, the shows have ‘new media’ to support them: large-size screens, catalogues on CD-ROMs, and a perfectly designed web portal, where the gallery’s offer is published side by side with lost of other information.
Galeria Art,
Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmie¶cie 17, tel. (+48 22) 828 51 70
www.galeriaart.pl
Art offers works by artists with connections to the Warsaw branch of ZPAP. It sells its exhibits, of course, but that is not all. The gallery is recommended to anyone with an interest in Polish contemporary art – in its strictest sense. Among the young artists that the gallery promotes are Brzeżańska, Mlacki, Kokoryn and Pala. The variety of the works means that there is something for those who prefer to explore tradition and for those seeking fresh ideas. Also worth looking at are the inventive catalogues
Warszawa
Galeria Fizek & Skowron,
Poznan, ul. Wroniecka 3, tel. (+48 61) 853 01 97
The atmosphere here is serious, refined and solemn. The good, professional lighting and spacious interior show off each work to its best advantage. There are items of decorative art ranging in period from the 16th to the 20th centuries (smaller pieces are displayed in an effective glass case), but the real showpieces are the Polish paintings, such as the gallery’s recent acquisitions: a Tetmajer canvas and a clutch of works signed by artists linked to the École de Paris. The gallery’s other specialisation is Art Deco; lovers of this style will certainly appreciate the wonderful furniture and ornaments. Also important from the client’s perspective is the professionalism of the owners, their art history background, and experience in the antiques and museum trade. Everything that comes into the gallery is carefully researched and in case of doubt attributions are referred to appropriate specialists from all over the country for checking. Valuations are free, and advice is also available on setting up collections or arranging interiors.
Antyki,
Poznan, ul. Orkana 48, tel. (+48 61) 830 64 66
(by appointment only)
I love the crackle of an old record. Hanka Ordonówna, Dietrich, that pre-war tea dance climate – and those unrivalled lyrics… magic! The phonographic companies do, it is true, offer those old recordings – but all tidied up and on CD. They lack the magic, they lack… the crackle. The only hope lies in collectors of old vinyl and gramophones. Henryk Zaczyński, a figure familiar from television programmes, has been working with mechanical gramophones for twenty years. He will sell you a working polyphone, a gramophone with external and internal horns (in ‘suitcase’, upright or boxed versions), or even a jukebox. Some of his collectibles have even been displayed in museums. Even more importantly, Mr. Zaczyński repairs these treasures. His selection of records is arguably Poland’s best, running to around 4,000! Ordonówna, Dietrich, pre-war dance bands? Yes, I love the crackle of an old record...
Desa,
Poznan, ul. Wielka 24, tel. (+48 61) 851 53 91
mim.man.poznan.pl
Desa aims to attract through its variety. It offers paintings, of course, among them canvases by well-known artists, such as Kotsis’ Interior of a hut. Worthy of note are its presentations of works by less popular painters, such as the delightful picture by Achille, an artist working in France in the 19th century. One of Poznan’s larger antique shops, Desa has a relatively wide selection of antique furniture. A remarkable recent addition was a well-preserved matching suite in the Louis Philippe style, something not often seen in Poznan. The shop also stocks a host of small pieces of decorative art – from 19th century Japanese ivory, through Meissen china and 19th century silver, to interesting late 20th century ceramics. Customers are in the kind, expert care of an art historian with 35 years’ experience in antiques, and museum experts are called in in case of problems. Desa also mediates in contacts with art restorers if necessary. Auctions are held at the company’s headquarters in Kraków.
Antykwariat,
Poznan, ul. Klasztorna 1, tel. (+48 61) 851 75 13
mim.man.poznan.pl
On the whole, Poles tend to prefer Wedgwood vases to dolls with biscuit china heads, but for the rare antique toy lovers this shop on Klasztorna Street is a must. The toys here are only likely to appeal to adults – most little girls of today would turn up their noses in disgust at a doll with a papier-mâché head! But experts will know that an old doll is a treasure, and the more unusual the face, the better. Here you will find dolls from the first half of the 20th century, sometimes older, most of them made in Germany. Years ago, little girls pushed lace-clad dolls in prams, while little boys had other toys – miniature steam engines, railways and clockwork tin toys. This shop has all of these. Tin toys and railways were made by Bing and Fleischmann, toy cars by Schuco. They continue to delight to this day, and their value increases. It is not only toys that you will find here, however. The shop stocks anything that comes under the heading of old technical devices, in particular optical instruments and land surveying equipment. This is certainly one of the few shops of its kind in Poland.
Edwin Nowacki. Dzieła Sztuki, Antyki,
Poznan, Stary Rynek 82 , tel. (+48 61) 853 20 17
www.edwin.pl
This antique shop is unrivalled in Poznan in terms of its sheer quantity of pieces of antique decorative art. A cursory glance around will not suffice here; the visitor needs time to pick something out from among the hundreds of pieces of silver, silver plate, bronze and china. Mr. Nowacki’s shop is also a good place for anyone seeking renovated furniture or clocks. Mr. Nowacki himself feels that his paintings are equally important; he has works by artists of the calibre of Boznańska. He tries to select the works of art and decorative pieces that he accepts in order to ensure that the merchandise he offers his clients is of a decent artistic standard. The gallery also employs an art historian. It offers its own opinions on its pieces, but at the client’s request other expert appraisals will also be provided.
Horn - dzieła sztuki i antyki,
Poznan, Stary Rynek 42, tel. (+48 61) 851 56 27
mim.man.poznan.pl
This shop has beautiful things rarely found in Poland, such as a besamim (Jewish spice box) in the shape of an egg, the work of a Gdańsk goldsmith at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. It also has icons, something not seen too often in Poznan’s antique shops, as well as a good selection of furniture and a wide range of small pieces of decorative art – silver, silver plate, glass, porcelain, bronze, clocks, etc. In addition there are paintings, pastels, drawings and prints. Only recently, for example, it had a beautiful drawing of the altar in St. Mary’s church in Kraków by Wyczółkowski, a drawing by Weiss and a sketch by Malczewski. Three friendly art historians are on hand to assist customers in their choice, and in case of problems opinions can be obtained from appropriate experts. The shop collaborates with the National Museum in Poznan, and can put its clients in touch with interior decorators and art restorers.
Galeria Mokra Antyki,
Poznan, ul. Wroniecka 22, tel. (+48 61) 851 87 37
When I saw the unassuming metal sign swinging in the wind outside Galeria Mokra, I thought this was going to be just another second-rate antique shop of which there are so many in Poznan. I was wrong. Its owners have rejected the luxurious “salon”-type decor and rely instead on their interesting merchandise, good prices and attentive service to attract custom. Describing their scope of activities to me, they emphasised that they take pride in their success in hunting down works sought by collectors. Items are assessed by one of the owners, an art historian, or by experts where necessary (usually from the National Museum in Poznan). They also offer decorative art, good quality bronzes by French and German artists, and furniture. They often have 19th century marble fireplace surrounds, banisters, and flowerpots and stands – items much in demand by decorators. Their specialist areas include paintings by 19th and 20th century Polish masters, among them names as well known to collectors as Michałowski, Kossak, Orłowski and Wierusz-Kowalski. They also have 18th century paintings, as well as works by contemporary artists, including some with a Poznan connection. The late 20th century works are not really set off to their best advantage here, however.
Antykwariat,
Poznan, ul. Kantaka 10, tel. (+48 61) 851 88 10
www.sobisiak.pl
The owner, Piotr Sobisiak, is a member of the prestigious German Gemological Society (DGG) and the Association of Jewellery Experts, so it is no surprise to learn that this shop, in addition to clocks, specialises in antique jewellery. Naturally, it offers professional valuations, expert opinions and antique jewellery repairs. Its selection of gems is displayed in glass cases, yet the gold is easy to miss among the shop’s stock of other items, such as period furniture, paintings, sculptures, icons, porcelain, glass, silver, silver plate, numismatics… the list goes on. The greatest variety is in the porcelain section. It is well worth looking carefully, because among the scores of average cups are one or two interesting pieces. This antique shop is a mine of presents (a recent attraction, for example, was a large set of cutlery, completely intact).
Antykwariat Kolekcjoner,
Poznan, ul. Kramarska 20, tel. (+48 61) 853 07 82
www.kolekcjoner.poznan.com.pl
The Kossak brothers? No. Wierusz-Kowalski? Nothing. No Malczewski, no École de Paris. No paintings at all, in fact. What there is: microscopes, compressors, measuring devices, compasses and telephones. Old technical devices are just one of this antique shop’s areas of specialisation. The first time visitor will probably not associate the shop with the art of horology – there are a few mechanisms from grandfather and grandmother clocks, but that looks to be about all. But horologically unusual timepieces are a particularly important section. In 2001 it held its first auction of clocks and watches; one of the more unique pieces to go under the hammer was a rare German watch worn around 1600. Next year there are plans for further auctions. The shop offers repairs of antique watches. It is also the home of the Wielkopolskie Numismatic Centre, and one of the owners is an expert for the Association of Professional Numismatists. In addition to selling numismatic items it also offers the invaluable services of valuation and advising on collections – invaluable because ascertaining the value and authenticity of coins, like their conservation, is no task for a layman. As well as technical devices, clocks and numismatics the shop harbours huge quantities of bric-a-brac.
Antykwariat-Księgarnia im. J. K. Żupańskiego,
Poznan, ul. Paderewskiego 3/5, tel. (+48 61) 852 63 12
www.antykwariat.pl
Four or five times a year this antique shop publishes a catalogue containing about 1,000 items. It also displays its wares on its Web site (ultimately to include information on every one of its pieces). The Antykwariat im. Żupańskiego occupies a unique position on the Poznan book market as the city’s largest antique book shop. The core of its range are 19th and 20th century publications – not only books, but also magazines and brochures, which are not popular with many antiquaries. It also sees such curios as 19th century funeral orations. Other well-stocked sections include theology and, of course, the section devoted to Poznan and the Wielkopolska region. It accepts whole libraries – some time ago it acquired a vast collection of French books in this way. Manuscripts, maps and good prints come in only occasionally, but it is worth checking – something interesting could always turn up unexpectedly.
Antykwariat & Antyki,
Poznan, ul. WoĽna 19/ 20, tel. (+48 61) 853 06 43
The interesting pieces of porcelain, glass and silver in the dusty window display are the first things to catch your eye. Inside the shop it is dark, and the welcome is slightly suspicious, but it is worth looking around and striking up a conversation, for among the furniture, paintings and decorative arts are things that merit attention – the 17th century vestibule commode, for example, a rarity on the Polish market. Another local sensation was caused by the appearance of its neo-Romanesque chairs – five simple but unusual chairs decorated with “medieval” friezes, which turned out to have been among the original furnishings of Poznan’s neo-Romanesque palace. Paintings recently offered by this antique shop include works by Sichulski, Epstein, W±sowicz and Małachowski. Expert opinions and renovations available.
ABC Gallery,
Poznan, ul. Wroniecka 17, (+48 61) 853 02 91
www.abclub.pl
The gallery is chiefly active in promoting young artists and exhibiting works by masters to the public. Chmielowski, Chrostowski and Rudzka are artists whose early careers were closely bound up with Galeria ABC. Its other area of activity is the organisation of annual monographic exhibitions devoted to Polish contemporary masters. This cycle, which was initiated in 1996, has included shows of canvases by Tchórzewski, Mikulski, Szancenbach and BereĽnicki, each one accompanied by beautiful catalogues. ABC collaborates with a number of other galleries and museums, and the works of artists both new and established are available to admire as well as to buy.
Galeria Garbary 48,
Poznan, ul. Garbary 48, tel. (+48 61) 852 91 70
info.galerie.art.pl
This gallery deals in painting, sculpture and prints, the latter being its specialist area. Galeria Garbary 48 works with artists from Kraków, Poznan, Warsaw, Wrocław and ŁódĽ, among them Nejman, Jackowski, Czaj, Szurek, Lutomski and Patalita. It organises individual and collective exhibitions and publishes catalogues.
Galeria Ego,
Poznan, ul. Dominikańska 7 a, tel. (+48 61) 853 15 81
A gallery offering paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures, but specialising in works on paper. The artists whose work is displayed here include some of Poland’s best known, among them Maziarska, Panek, Nowosielski, Tarasewicz and P±gowska. Its latest project, still in its early stages, is its “Project room”, the aim of which is to promote young artists. Respect for individuality, inherent in the name of the gallery itself, is borne out in the way it is run: the artists design every exhibition themselves, and selected themes are developed by independent curators. Each display of work is accompanied by catalogues and leaflets. Ego is also taking its first steps in educational activity.
Galeria r,
Poznan, ul. Dominikańska 7 a, tel. (+48 61) 852 52 06
info.galerie.art.pl
In recent years Galeria r has held a series of exhibitions, including monographs of the work of Stażewski, Lebenstein, Gierowski and Kantor. There have also been several themed shows, to mention but Abstraction, abstraction, a presentation of Polish art of the 20th century, or Form and rigour, an exhibition devoted to the ŁódĽ art scene of the last century. The gallery specialises in Polish avant-garde art of the 1930s and 1940s (a display entitled Avant-garde times is forthcoming). However, it also offers work by young artists, including Leder, Korol and Knafelski.
Gdańsk
Gabinet Numizmatyczny,
Gdansk, ul. Szeroka 119/120, tel. (+48 58) 301 46 95
www.gabinet.redcom.com.pl
katalog.trojmiasto.pl
The name Gabinet Numizmatyczny, or the Numismatic Cabinet, is somewhat misleading. Indeed, this used to be the shop’s principal area of interest, however today it is but a fraction of its business, and is basically limited to old Polish coins. Only a part of the offer is on display in the showroom, and these are not necessarily the most valuable items. Furniture (sometimes as old as from the 18th century), which is too big for the tiny gallery, can be seen on photographs. The shop sells old maps and prints, too. Its photographic documentation helps to track down any rarities that have shown up in the salon. What attracts visitors’ attention are gold and silver articles. It is not impossible to come by Gdansk silverware from the 17th and 18th century, e.g. a cup by master Siegfried Örstner (1710). The highest-quality objects are bought for museum collections.
Antykwariat DART,
Gdansk, ul. Piwna 47, tel. (+48 58) 301 83 06
www.konserwacja-antyki.pl
dart@konserwacja-antyki.pl
dartsc@konserwacja-atnyki.pl
This small gallery is difficult to move around or find something in. The customer will fall over hundreds of objects of varying value all crammed together. If you are eagle-eyed, you may fish out something interesting from this jumble. Worthy of note are particularly canvases by local painters of the 17th century. The Polish baroque paintings are not the best of their kind but they have a unique charm. A lot of the paintings that are on sale at Dart are works by catalogued Polish or European artists. Mention should also be made of the icons. A majority of the stock are articles of decorative arts: silverware, silver plate, clocks and watches, jewellery, porcelain, and faience. Amber pieces and models of old sail boats give the place a local slant.
Dart specialises in selling period furniture. The customer may count on professional art preservation performed in the Dart Preservation Studios, where a full range of specialist services are provided, such as intarsia, encrustation, polychrome, etc. The shop prides itself on having renovated over 2,000 pieces of furniture for clients from Germany and Holland. Therefore, what you see in this little antique shop adjacent to St. Mary’s Church is a preview of the potential of the shop, where services like consultation in decorating and furnishing period interiors, shipment of goods domestically and within Europe, and expert opinions are available too.
Gdanski Salon Sztuki Dawnej,
Gdansk, ul. Długa 2, tel. (+48 58) 301 51 21
Formerly a Desa salon, this antique shop is run by an art historian and expert in painting. Obviously enough, the main street of the Old Town of Gdansk right behind the Gate of Gold (Brama Złota) is a hunting ground for lovers of marine paintings and Gdansk cityscapes. And rightly so, because local themes are in the majority here. These are often canvases by artists connected with Trójmiasto (the conurbation of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot), such as Marian Mokwa (1889-1987), a marine painter who studied in Berlin, travelled a lot, and finally settled in Sopot, where his paintings included 44 cycles devoted to the Polish connections with the Baltic Sea. Polish paintings only occasionally find their way to the Gdanski Salon Sztuki Dawnej. But maps and prints of Gdansk can be found there as well. Usually, they are inexpensive items for tourists. There is a handsome set of icons, and the largest selection of old weapons in town, which might be said to be the showroom’s specialité de la maison. To make its offer complete, the shop sells furniture, ceramics, silverware, etc. As befits a seaport city, interesting odds and ends turn up here, such as 18th century Chinese doors. Numismatics forms a separate section of the shop, which is run by an expert in the field.
Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (SDA),
Gdansk, ul. Długa 67/ 68, tel. (+48 58) 301 31 27
www.sda.pl
The primary focus of this Gdansk branch of the Sopot-based SDA is selling paintings and objects of decorative arts, but the philately and numismatics department is fairly sound as well. The Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny provides specialist consultation, performs valuations, and prepares expert analysis reports. The salon was the first to organise Internet auctions. The estimates are that eight to twelve such auctions will be held yearly. Photographs of the works on offer (the entire work and a signature close-up) are available for viewing on a carefully designed web site. Bids are accepted for two weeks. The principal seat of the SDA is described below.
Antykwariat Jacek,
Gdansk, ul. Długa 67/ 68, tel. (+48 58) 301 21 91
Unbelievable as it might seem, there is no antique shop on the Baltic coast that offers all sea-related objects. One would think there should be one if only in order to cater for the sentiments of tourists who see sea waves once a year. An exception to the rule is the antique shop Jacek. This is the only place where old sailing accessories, compasses, sextants, telescopes, binoculars, and all sorts of navigation devices can be found. There is even a hefty brass compass pillar. Old sail boat models made in a slapdash manner will be ideal for dreamers. Kids will like the pre-war toy ships (a shelf full of toys from the first half of the 20th century). Yet the salon has a lot to offer to those who have not even dreamt of sea voyages too, for example a section of, so to say, pre-war services, such as a hatter’s fitting room from the 1930s (including a mirror and a hat rack), or a barber’s razor sharpening belt. Household contraptions are represented by an ingeniously designed case for suspenders, early models of telephones, (e.g. a wooden model from 1903), and gramophones. There is a wide range of kitchen utensils, both well-known objects, and rarely used ones. A place worth stopping by to give a refreshing boost to your imagination. I must admit the shop’s nice display makes buying hard to resist.
Mała Galeria Sztuki,
Gdansk, ul. Długa 72, tel. (+48 58) 301 33 32
katalog.trojmiasto.pl
The stock of this showroom comprises Polish and foreign painting, but its main speciality are works of decorative arts: silverware, porcelain, and jewellery. The owner takes great care to ensure that Art Deco and Art Nouveau, which enjoy clients’ continued enthusiasm, are well represented at all times. Among the silverware, Judaica hold pride of place, as the owner has a particular predilection for them. The range of objects used in this cult is truly impressive: menorahs, mezuzahs, besamim and lots of others. Clients may order expert analysis reports. Beside selling antiques, the shop provides assistance in decorating period interiors. The interior decoration of the shop itself may be an irresistible encouragement to use its services.
Kantor Kupiecki Antyk,
Gdansk, ul. Warzywnicza 10 D, tel. (+48 58) 301 34 16
Contrary to what the address suggests, the entrance to this antique shop should be sought not in Warzywnicza Street, but on the bank on the Motława, therefore my recommendation is to pop in after visiting the famous Gdansk Crane House. Its location in the city’s central promenade naturally attracts hosts of tourists. The salon sells, in the first place, small items of decorative arts. 19th and 20th century silverware and porcelain pieces outnumber everything else. The shop specialises in porcelain figures, which are numerous, though of average quality on the whole, with some select items from respected manufacturers. Occasionally, Kandyna’s or Tolkmic’ ceramics loom up. In addition, the Kantor Kupiecki sells furniture but the stock is meagre. The offer includes works by Polish and foreign painters, such as Feuerring, Setkowicz and Przybyszewski.
Desa,
Gdynia, ul. Abrahama 54, tel. (+48 58) 620 36 63
www.desa.pl
www.desa.art.pl
Gdynia’s Desa salon is the most remotely located outlet of the Krakow-based network. Old and contemporary works of art such as paintings, sculptures, furniture, or decorative art pieces are accepted for sale here. The best ‘catches’ are then sold by auction. Marine topics prevail among the paintings, especially in works by German and Polish artists. Very popular are prints with views of Trójmiasto. The selection of porcelain is fairly large, but they are usually objects of daily use and low artistic merit. The staff of this antique shop are experts in old and contemporary art. One can’t help feeling that the Desa salon is very indecisive about its profile. Old art intermixes in an unpremeditated manner with contemporary works which, to use an understatement, are far from top class.
Antiques & Art,
Sopot, ul. Ko¶ciuszki 4, tel. (+48 58) 551 78 55
katalog.trojmiasto.pl
Those who go to antique shops in order to find the atmosphere of a flea market or to rummage in the nooks filled with piles of quaint bric-a-brac from the turn of the 19th and 20th century will be disappointed. However, particularly keen on the place will be those who are looking for something substantial: a small but tastefully arranged art collection, and help from an antique dealer who can talk about art (a rare thing).
Antiques & Art does not have a strictly defined profile; its aim is rather to acquire good works of art. What drew my attention when I visited the salon was a rare masterly veneered German Biedermeier chest of drawers, which was dated and signed. There was also a figurine of the Apocalyptic Madonna, a piece by a Bavarian rococo artist. Among decorative works of arts worthy of note were also two Empire candelabra and a chandelier, and valuable fabrics. Painting are represented by Polish artists associated with the Munich school (such as Hulewicz), but old canvases dating from the 17th or 18th century show up too. Lovers of graphic arts will find a lot of interesting prints, yet the section is not very conspicuous and one needs to ask about it. The shop offers antiques from Asia, and the owner demonstrates remarkable knowledge of and experience in this area of art, which is commonly seen as ‘exotic’ as it is often ignored in courses in art history. The owner is an art historian and a former head of the Gdansk Desa. He can be turned to for help in compiling collections or searching for specific works of art.
Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny,
Sopot, ul. Bohaterów Monte Cassino 43, tel. (+48 58) 550 16 05
www.sda.plwww.sda.pl
The principal seat of this auction house is located on the famous promenade that takes you to the Sopot pier. The company runs two neighbouring showrooms. The main location, which occupies a few hundred square meters and three storeys, is one of the largest antique shops in Poland. These premises are large enough to house an extensive display of antique furniture, ranging from Biedermeier suites, to Louis Philippe, Neo-rococo, 19th century Gdansk furniture, to Art Nouveau and oriental pieces. The department of painting is represented by pieces by old masters (a 17th century Pieta, or Stech’s Portrait of a Jew, also from the 17th century), but dominated by popular Polish artists from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Objects of decorative arts catch the eye for their high quality. This quality is the effect of a successful ‘division of competence’ between the two salons under SDA’s common ownership. The other one is a smaller shop, which sells decorative arts, particularly usable porcelain, the artistic value of which is lower and so is the price. It has a philately and numismatics section as well.
Galeria ZPAP,
Gdansk, ul. Mariacka 46/47, tel. (+48 58) 301 13 11
info.galerie.art.pl
This is a new start-up, founded in 2002 to promote local artists of the young generation. Its activity was inaugurated with this year’s cycle Młodzi arty¶ci Wybrzeża (Young Coastland Artists). The project included exhibitions of works by Nowacki, Zwoliński and Janowski. Meetings with the artists are held at weekends, and they are a good opportunity for artists and the art audience to establish contact.
Galeria i Muzeum Fotografii CYKLOP,
Gdansk, ul. Grobla I 3/5, (+48 58) 301 71 47
www.ggf.maxi.pl
This gallery and museum in one was the idea of Władysław Żuchowski Jr., a collector of photographs and a photographer himself. The shows of photographs from the owner’s collection feature 19th century daguerreotypes, views of the Tatra Mountains made by Eljasz Radzikowski or pictured by celebrated contemporary photographers, such as Robert Mapplethorp, Herbert Döring, Toshiki Ozawa. A lot of attention is given to Polish photography, both classical (Edward Hartwig, Zofia Rydet, etc.) and young. The owner and the students of the gallery’s school of photography exhibit there too.
Once a year, in summertime, the gallery goes out to the Sopot beach, where it stages Konfrontacje, a project in which photography is confronted with reality, for instance by hanging pictures on strings right next to fishing nets.
So, the Cyklop is the place to see an exhibition, to buy photographs, to pamper your visual taste with nicely edited exhibition catalogues and postcards, and to sign up for a photography course and set to work yourself.
Galeria 78,
Gdynia, ul. ¦więtojańska 78, tel. (+48 58) 620 81 85
www.galeria78.art.pl
Since 1992, the Galeria 78 has been striving to present thought-provoking art that requires intellectual effort. Painting exhibitions, presentations of installations and happenings are accompanied by meeting with the authors. The gallery collaborates with Polish and foreign artists. Last May the Galeria 78 was involved in the organisation of the exhibition entitled Pokolenia (Generations), and currently is working on building up communication with France.
Galerie Horszowski,
Wroclaw, Rynek 2, tel. (+48 71) 344 41 93;
Wroclaw Town Hall, adjacent to the pillory, (+48 71) 344 80 35
This antique shop sells furniture, paintings, prints, sculptures and other pieces of decorative arts (porcelain, silver, bronzes, clocks and watches, jewellery). Good Polish painting is hard to come by here, as in the rest of the city, although pictures by respected artists such as Wyczółkowski or Chełmoński do turn up occasionally. There is also an interesting range of canvases by painters local to the region. These include 19th century Silesian landscape painters, increasingly valued following Wroclaw National Museum’s successful exhibition in 1997, such as Weimann, Dressler and Stowerroffsky. Prints by Ulbrich, an artist who made views of Wroclaw and Silesia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, are much sought-after. The shop’s greatest claim to fame, however, was the appearance of a canvas by the great Silesian Baroque painter Willmann that was previously thought lost. The painting is now safe in the collections of the National Museum. Also worthy of note are its occasional nettings of pieces by German Expressionists such as Nolde and Corinth and others of their class and status. On the whole, though, collectors have more chance of finding interesting specimens of decorative art, which are painstakingly grouped by function and material. Its range of furniture, as in all Wroclaw’s antique shops, is fairly limited. The shop also offers its clients a range of other services, from specialist literature, through interior design to expert opinions, drawing on the knowledge of employees of Wroclaw’s museums. One last note: not far from the main salon, inside the Town Hall, there is a smaller gallery selling mostly small decorative objects.
Antykwariat Wroclawski,
Wroclaw, Pl. Ko¶ciuszki 15-14, tel. (+48 71) 343 72 80
Well known among Wroclaw collectors as the home of former Desa. Its system of documenting the most interesting items sold here dates from those days. A certificate of each one is filed, and in later years this proves highly useful. The art historians that work here will perform valuations and catalogue and document collections for buyers and insurance companies. The owners try to ensure that their clients can find everything they want. The broad range of stock includes manuscripts, paintings (including pictures by Polish painters such as Jarocki, Peszka and Hoffman), prints, furniture, applied art, etc. The stranger to Wroclaw is particularly impressed by works of Silesian art, both painting and decorative art. From time to time there are also interesting examples of Silesian glass, as well as Bolesławiec stoneware, products from Nowogrodziec and porcelain from Tułowice. The latter is particularly popular with collectors from the US, because before the war the company also had shops across the water. What is noteworthy is that many of the articles bear the hallmarks of factories in Saxony. On the other hand, as is well known, Wroclaw became home to many people resettled from Poland’s eastern pre-war border areas, the Kresy, and this episode in the city’s history is also visible in the shop. It frequently sees postcards from the eastern Kresy, Hucul kilims and ceramics, and the odd stray piece of Lvov silver.
Antykwariat Naukowy,
Wroclaw, ul. Szewska 64, tel. (+48 71) 343 72 39
www.antykwariat.art.pl
This place evidently enjoys a lot of custom. It proved impossible to take a photograph of the shop without at least a few clients in it. Most of them leave with 20th-century belles lettres, but collectors of older books, prints, maps and posters will also find much to interest them (such as a poster announcing a premiere from 1812). For travellers there is an impressive shelf of old editions of the invaluable Baedeker guide. Ambitious voyages a la “retro” can be planned using 19th-century albums and studies on art history (items still prized by art historians today). Those who prefer to travel from their armchair should definitely visit the cartography section, where treasures include 18th-century maps by Homann. Among the most popular items here are maps of Silesia and the Karkonosze range, and most pieces date from the 19th and 20th centuries, although older ones do turn up. The shop also stocks prints, in particular views of Silesia.
Antykwariat-Galeria – Ars Silesiae,
Wroclaw, ul. Kiełba¶nicza 29, tel. (+48 71) 372 46 91
This antique shop by the erudite name of Ars Silesiae, or Silesian Art, at one time boasted… old Harley bikes. All that is now but a thing of the past, however, and today it sells art, with the emphasis, of course, on the Silesian connection. Its wares therefore include landscapes by Weimann and Beyer, Silesian porcelain, and a very wide range of Silesian beer mugs. This Silesiana is nonetheless in fact no more than a fraction of what the shop has to offer, which is, as is often the case, a fairly haphazard collection of 19th and early 20th-century trinkets – silver, china, glass, etc. Worth popping in if you are planning a trip around Wroclaw’s antiques shops.
¦l±ski Salon Sztuki,
Wroclaw, Pl. Bema 2, tel. (+48 71) 322 28 76
This antique shop, run by Barbara Litwiniuk and Leszek A. Nowak, is also the headquarters of the Private Centre for Documentation, Information and Research into Silesian Early and Modern Art. The information on Silesian art, local artists and factories collected here methodically for years is the foundation for the shop’s work with antiques, and as such it enjoys a good reputation and considerable respect in the city. It is the local branch of Desa Unicum. Obviously enough, it promotes chiefly Silesian art. Among the paintings that appear here are landscapes by painters linked with Szklarska Poręba, Kłodzko and Jelenia Góra.
Antykwariat Naukowy im. J. K. Żupańskiego,
Wroclaw, ul. KuĽnicza 43/45, tel. (+48 71) 780 66 59
www.antykwariat.pl
This is the Silesian branch of an antique shop based in Poznań. Both shops display their stock on a joint Web site. This branch is devoted to the humanities. In addition to 20th-century books, it also offers older publications (law textbooks, Bibles, prayer books), a limited range of maps (chiefly 19th-century editions), and prints (mostly 20th-century). The popular Silesiana section is particularly extensive, and includes old guidebooks of the region and 19th-century official forms (Amts-Blatt) used in Silesian towns.
Galeria Retro,
Wroclaw, ul. Kiełba¶nicza 24, tel. (+48 71) 343 90 84
This antiques shop sells neither paintings nor furniture. It intentionally takes a less serious line, and herein lies its charm. The most fascinating pieces on offer are its period costumes, something rarely found and definitely undervalued in Poland – pre-war evening wear, ladies’ hats with feathers, gents’ bowlers, bags, parasols, lace gloves, fans and other accessories perfect for the present “vintage” fashion that has seized the world! Dresses can be packed into one of the trunks also on offer here, and for hats there are beautiful leather boxes. Ethnographers will find a whole range of 19th and early 20th-century traditional costumes. If the idea of a century-old wardrobe does not appeal, but your antique furniture is looking bare, Galeria Retro offers a broad selection of pre-war throwovers, embroidered tablecloths and lace mats in excellent condition. Another section of the shop contains lamps, candlesticks, china and glass, mainly from the first half of the 20th century. The friendly atmosphere is conducive to a leisurely ferret around in the shop’s basement nooks and crannies.
Antykwariat W piwniczce,
Wroclaw, ul. Kiełba¶nicza 24, tel. (+48 71) 344 61 03
Next door to Retro, in another, well restored cellar in the same Gothic townhouse is another antique shop. The entranceway is lined with glass cases of porcelain, faience and majolica, and deeper inside on the right is a room full of other forms of applied art. The varied collections of Art Deco glass attractively arranged by colour and function are a pleasure to behold. There is also some Art Nouveau glass and a very interesting range of silverware and silver plate. A separate part of the shop is devoted to icons, long the passion of the shop’s owner, who claims to know a good deal on this tricky subject. In another room there is a relatively wide variety of furniture – for the most part popular eclectic items, but with the odd example of Modern Style (Sezession) or Biedermeier. The shop also sells new furniture crafted according to period designs. All in all an interesting selection, delightfully displayed and in a welcoming atmosphere.
Antykwariat Dzieł Sztuki,
Wroclaw, ul. KuĽnicza 57-58, tel. (+48 71) 341 80 71
This small antique shop houses a little of everything – some furniture, one or two clocks, small pieces of decorative art, and a few maps, postcards and numismatic pieces. There are paintings too, nothing of particular note, although some interesting canvases can be found. Postcard lovers are spared the necessity of toilsome rummaging through piles of “waste paper” – there is not a huge selection, but what there is, primarily reproductions of Wroclaw and Upper and Lower Silesia, always the most sought-after subjects in these parts, is well-chosen. The numismatics section includes only pre-1900 items. Probably the most noteworthy pieces, however, are the decorative arts. The Viennese Sezession pitcher, and the signed Swedish glass dating from the 1960s are perhaps not “marketstoppers”, but have a definite value as beaux objets.
Filatelistyka i Numizmatyka,
Wroclaw, Pl. Teatralny 5, tel. (+48 71) 344 24 96
This small shop is the only numismatic studio in Wroclaw. The core of its stocks are numismatic pieces and medals, areas in which the owner has been professionally active since 1986. In addition to coins, bank notes and medals that are hundreds of years old, there are also newer, 20th-century pieces. Silesian coins, the object of much interest, appear only occasionally. The shop also deals in philately and postcard collecting, and sells specialist literature. For its regular customers it publishes catalogues of its collections, although not very frequently.
Galeria – Antyki,
Wroclaw, ul. Grodzka 7, tel. (+48) 502 263 981
The owner learnt the antiques trade through Desa, but the style of this shop certainly does not resemble “classic Desa”. It is more a glory hole of curios whose purpose is sometimes hard to define without specialist assistance (and these are not always articles dating from before 1945). For instance, I came across a collection of Chinoiserie, including calligraphic scrolls of “pearls of wisdom” from the 1930s (the owner has put much effort into trying to decipher them, but so far she has only been partly successful), ceramic ornaments for the home, pressed leather hatboxes (19th/20th c.) and ceramic rice containers. Returning from Asia to Europe without leaving the shop, there are one or two pieces of furniture, decorative art (not all pre-1945), and paintings and prints. These latter are aptly described by the owner as “decorative painting” of no particular value. Nevertheless, a closer inspection of the walls full of “pretty pictures” turns up prints by Duffy and Dali.
Galeria Opus,
Wroclaw, Pl. Ko¶ciuszki 16, tel. (+48 71) 344 76 61
One of the most active private galleries in Wroclaw, Opus holds five or six exhibitions a season. This year it has some special attractions in store – a cycle of shows to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Following monographics dedicated to Dudziński, Kapu¶ciński and Wańko, in 2003 it is planning a tenth anniversary exhibition of the late and great of Wroclaw’s art scene – Cwenarski, Geppert, Gielniak, Karpiński, Krzetuska, Mazurkiewicz, the Mehls and Will. Aside from its special shows the gallery displays work by artists broadly different from each other but united by a common thread – their famous names: Dudziński, Nowosielski, Stasys, Lebenstein, Młodożeniec, Dobkowski, Beksiński, Sienicki and Hałas. In 2002 Galeria Opus received the President of the City of Wroclaw’s award for creating a familial atmosphere for great art.
Galeria Sztuki Janusza Chodorowicza,
Wroclaw, ul. Odrzańska 1, tel. (+48 71) 341 80 15
This gallery is partly dedicated to the work of its owner, Janusz Chodorowicz, but also displays works by many other Polish artists. Regular collaborators include Geppert, Batruch, Sawicki and Aleksiun, and there are also works by Tarasin, Dobkowski and Sroka. But paintings and prints are not all the gallery has to offer. Among the other artists who regularly exhibit here are the sculptors Szmatuła and Domański. The gallery also has glass by Kiczur, Pawlak, the Kucharskis and others, as well as practical art and impressive glass sculptures.
Galeria M,
Wroclaw, ul. Stare Jatki 10, tel. (+48 71) 341 72 82
The former abattoir is now home to a number of small modern art galleries, one of which is M. Its exhibits are in the main prints, but also paintings, sculpture and ceramics. Founded in 1997, the gallery is consistently developing its own character, for the most part by collaborating with selected artists on a permanent basis. It displays only work of a high standard (particularly important for prints), and has a good selection of small prints. In terms of type, almost all the pieces displayed here are figurative – prints by Rózga, Telka, Budka, Józefowski and Dzikowska, and paintings by Antoniewicz, Żelechowski and Kardamasz. M has pretensions to more than one-off sales. It works to promote “its” artists by publishing catalogues and presentation cards for them, participating in international reviews, and organising presentations both within Poland and abroad. For its buyers (who are not always necessarily familiar with the art world), just as important as its art is the standard of its service – the personnel provide good information and are willing and able to talk about the art. This, unfortunately, is all too rare in our galleries.
Na Solnym,
Wroclaw, Plac Solny 11, tel. (+48 71) 342 37 79
This gallery operates under the auspices of ZPAP (The Association of Polish Visual Artists) and deals almost exclusively in painting. The artists that exhibit here are connected with the local scene – staff and graduates of the Wroclaw Academy of Fine Arts, including Aleksiun, Minciel and Wilk. The standard of work is very varied. A new tradition is the “Diploma of the Year” competition, held here in collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts. This autumn exhibitions included works by Laskowska and Skrabek. The only record of past shows are all too meagre folders.