ALEKSANDRA JANISZEWSKA-CARDONE
One of the most important sources of income for Lucas Cranach the Elder, as well as his entire workshop, was the production of portraits. Commissioning one’s own image was an extremely important element in demonstrating one’s position and sometimes provided testimony to social promotion. Cranach’s portraits were commissioned both by members of aristocratic families and…
Owing to the Artystyczna Podróż Hestii Foundation, I had the opportunity to participate in the (Un)common ground conference last week. The conference was the first in Poland to address issues related to art branding. The topic was introduced on Polish ground thanks to Igor Gałązkiewicz’s book under this very title (published in 2016), but for…
It is with genuine pleasure that I write this post for you. The year in pandemic has been a very busy one for me, as I have been preparing an exhibition of a wonderful, largely unknown collection of 17th century paintings. Moreover, the possibility of creating a script based on my own idea, as well…
The second year has passed since I decided to start this blog. The prospect of another cycle coming to a close makes me reflective. I think about where I am now and remind myself of the reasons why I embarked on this extraordinary journey with Otulina. The key for me was the struggle for my…
The year 2020 will definitely go down in history as one with an accumulation of ‘interesting’ events that make it possible to question the current status quo. This is taking place both in the field of general feeling of security in Western countries and in the field of established political and social orders. There is…
For me it is extremely difficult to separate Gauguin the artist from Gauguin the man. When I was preparing material for a short entry on a blog about one of his works, I was struck by the variety of narrations in the stories about the paintings that Gauguin painted. When describing them, the authors often…
We are looking at a group of elegantly dressed Parisians in a hurry to open their umbrellas. Their blue domes form a composition of chaotically tangled shapes, reflecting the impression of the rapidity of the weather change. Only the woman in the foreground, carrying a large hat basket, seems to be not interested in the…
Burza rdzawych loków mieni się złotem w świetle wpadającym z prawej strony kompozycji. Nie widzimy jego źródła, ale możemy się domyślać wysokiego okna odsłoniętego w górnej części. Łuk brwiowy, kość policzka, czubek nosa czy wypukłość brody jaśnieją wyraźnie. Młody mężczyzna o delikatnej urodzie, który spogląda na nas ze spokojem to Ignacy Paderewski, wówczas wchodzący w…
“When I know your soul, I will paint your eyes” are Amedeo Modigliani’s most frequently quoted words, made famous by a biographical film with Andy Garcia. However, it is hard to believe, however, that they describe a consistent principle guiding the artist’s work. This becomes obvious when we look at the portrait of his beloved…
In the National Museum in Warsaw there is an inconspicuous painting by Cornelis Saftleven entitled Dance with an Egg. At first sight it looks like a boring genre scene. It’s hard to understand what is the game that the characters are playing and what actually drives them. May is the month of spring and the…