Polish art exhibition honoured in UK

A major exhibition of Polish art in London has won the Curatorial Exhibition Prize from the Association for Art History, a leading art historians’ body in Britain.

A massive stained-glass window designed by Polish artist and playwright Stanisław Wyspiański was one of the centerpieces of the exhibition at London's William Morris Gallery.

Photo: PAP/Łukasz Gągulski

The Young Poland: An Arts and Crafts Movement exhibition was shown at London’s William Morris Gallery from October 2021 until the end of January.

The exhibition was organized by the William Morris Gallery, in partnership with the National Museum in Kraków, southern Poland, and the Polish Cultural Institute in London.

It attracted an audience of more than 30,000, which the organizers said was a success in view of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that were still in force at the time.

It was the first major exhibition to explore the decorative arts and architecture of Young Poland (Młoda Polska), an extraordinary cultural movement that originated in Kraków and the southern Polish town of Zakopane at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, and sought inspiration in local folk traditions, wildlife and craftsmanship.

The exhibition brought together more than 150 works, including  paintings, textiles, paper cuttings and Christmas decorations.

Featured artists included Jacek Malczewski, Jan Matejko, Józef Mehoffer, Henryk Uziembło, Stanisław Wyspiański, Wojciech Jastrzębowski, and Karol Kłosowski.

The show demonstrated the Young Poland movement's strong stylistic and philosophical affinities with the work of British artists William Morris and John Ruskin.

(mk/gs)