The display, entitled Arcadia, explores various artistic interpretations of this utopian concept, deeply ingrained in European culture.
The exhibit showcases diverse interpretations of this theme, from early Renaissance to contemporary works, including paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, and artistic crafts.
Over 300 pieces are displayed, offering a panoramic view of the mythical Arcadia's artistic representations.
Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
The collection primarily features works from the museum's own archives, supplemented by pieces from other Polish collections such as Warsaw's Łazienki Museum and the Wawel Royal Castle in the southern city of Kraków.
Also on show are items from the National Museums in Kraków and the western city of Poznań, and international institutions such as the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay in Paris, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
Highlighted among the exhibits are works by renowned European painters, such as Claude Lorrain, François Boucher, Jean-Baptiste Pater, Camille Corot, Arnold Böcklin and Pierre Bonnard, showcased alongside 19th-century Polish artists Henryk Siemiradzki, Józef Mehoffer and Jacek Malczewski.
Contemporary artists, including sculptor and architect Jarosław Kozakiewicz and world-famous sculptor and video artist Mirosław Bałka, also feature prominently.
Key pieces transported to Warsaw include "Dancing Satyr," François Boucher's "The Charms of Country Life," and "Young Shepherd Resting" by Lyon Hippolyte Flandrin, showcasing the enduring allure of the Arcadian theme.
Arcadia, stemming from the works of the ancient poet Virgil, represents an unchanging order where its inhabitants experience blissful happiness, eternal youth, freedom, and unrestrained eroticism.
Agnieszka Rosales Rodríguez, of the Institute of Art History at the University of Warsaw, and the curator of the exhibition, emphasized that while the Arcadian ideal as envisioned by Virgil never truly existed, its pursuit remains relevant.
She highlighted the exhibition's focus on themes such as happiness, youth, friendship, and "non-heteronormative love," framing Arcadia as a metaphor for freedom and a space for creation.
The exhibit also addresses contemporary issues such as ecological responsibility and the human impact on Earth.
Before entering the exhibition, visitors encounter two interactive projects: #mojaarkadia, inviting them to document their impressions and reflections related to mythical Arcadia, and an auditory installation by Warsaw opera singer and composer Barbara Kinga Majewska, created from the audience's desires expressed in the "What do you desire?" initiative.
The exhibition is structured into eight sections, each addressing different themes such as "Arcadia: Place and Metaphor," "Pastorale: Arcadian Tradition in Old Culture," "Dystopias of Today," "Queer Arcadias," and "Earth: Reclaimed Arcadia," linking to contemporary artistic and ecological efforts.
Supported by the French ambassador to Poland and funded by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the exhibition promises to offer an in-depth exploration of the Arcadian myth and its influence on art and culture.
Arcadia runs until March 17.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP