Sukiennice Museum
Encyclopedia
Sukiennice Museum, a.k.a. Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art at Sukiennice, is a division of the National Museum, Kraków
, Poland
. The Gallery is housed on the upper floor of the Sukiennice
(Cloth Hall) in the center of the Main Market Square
in Old Town Kraków
.
Initially the Sukiennice Museum shared the Cloth Hall's upper floor with the Fine Arts Society. The first major acquisition of the National Museum in Kraków was "Nero’s Torches" (Pochodnie Nerona), a painting presented to the city by its painter Henryk Siemiradzki
.
The Gallery was closed to visitors from October 2006 till 2009 for major renovations, the bulk of the gallery's collections being moved to Niepołomice Castle
for temporary display.
The Piotr Michałowski Room includes his own paintings of "The Cardinal", "Seńko", portraits on horseback as well as battle scenes with the famed "Somosierra". The Room of The Prussian Homage features 19th-century Polish historical panorama
s by Jan Matejko
, paintings by Artur Grottger
, Henryk Rodakowski
, Henryk Siemiradzki
, Jacek Malczewski
and others.
The Chełmoński Room is devoted to landscape painting of the 19th century: Jan Nepomucen Głowacki, Wojciech Gerson
, Józef Chełmoński, Adam Chmielowski, Józef Brandt, Maksymilian and Aleksander Gierymski
, Józef Pankiewicz
and Leon Wyczółkowski, including Władysław Podkowiński’s controversial "Ecstasy" (1894, pictured).
Sculptures include Pius Weloński’s "Gladiator", Walery Gadomski’s "Salome", Piotr Wójtowicz’s "Perseus With the Head of Medusa", Teodor Rygier’s "Bacchante", Antoni Pleszowski’s "Sadness", Piotr Michałowski’s "Napoleon on Horseback" and Stanisław Lewandowski’s "A Slav Breaking Chains". Among the collection of portrait sculptures are, Piotr Michałowski’s self-portraits, Antoni Kurzawa’s "Mickiewicz Awaking the Genius of Poetry", Antoni Madeyski’s "Portrait of Aleksander Gierymski", Wiktor Brodzki’s "Instigations of Love", Piotr Wójtowicz’s "After a Bath" and Antoni Madeyski’s "Greyhound".
National Museum, Kraków
The National Museum in Kraków , established in 1879, is the main branch of Poland's National Museum, which has many permanent collections around the country.-History:...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The Gallery is housed on the upper floor of the Sukiennice
Sukiennice
The Renaissance Sukiennice in Kraków, Poland, is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the Main Market Square in the Kraków Old Town . It was once a major centre of international trade. Traveling merchants met there to discuss business and to barter...
(Cloth Hall) in the center of the Main Market Square
Main Market Square, Kraków
The Main Market Square in Kraków is the most important market square of the Old Town in Kraków, Poland and a principal urban space located at the center of the city...
in Old Town Kraków
Kraków-Stare Miasto
Kraków Old Town is the historic central district of Kraków, Poland. It is one of the most famous old districts in Poland today and was the center of Poland's political life from 1038 until King Sigismund III Vasa relocated his court to Warsaw in 1596...
.
History of the collection
The Gallery holds the largest permanent exhibit of 19th-century Polish painting and sculpture, in four grand rooms. The majority of today’s collection at Sukiennice comprises gifts from collectors, artists and their families.Initially the Sukiennice Museum shared the Cloth Hall's upper floor with the Fine Arts Society. The first major acquisition of the National Museum in Kraków was "Nero’s Torches" (Pochodnie Nerona), a painting presented to the city by its painter Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki was a Polish 19th century painter active in the period of foreign Partitions of Poland, and best remembered for his monumental Academic art...
.
The Gallery was closed to visitors from October 2006 till 2009 for major renovations, the bulk of the gallery's collections being moved to Niepołomice Castle
Niepołomice Castle
The Niepołomice Royal Castle is a Gothic castle from the mid-14th century, rebuilt in the late Renaissance style and called the second Wawel. It is situated in Niepołomice, Poland.-History:...
for temporary display.
Arrangement
The gallery's arrangement resembles that of an 19th-century salon. The Enlightenment Room features 18th-century portraits and historical paintings by Polish and foreign classicists and pre-Romantics — Marcello Bacciarelli, Józef Grassi, Per Krafft, Józef Pitschmann, Aleksander Orłowski, Franciszek Smuglewicz, Michał Stachowicz and Kazimierz Wojniakowski.The Piotr Michałowski Room includes his own paintings of "The Cardinal", "Seńko", portraits on horseback as well as battle scenes with the famed "Somosierra". The Room of The Prussian Homage features 19th-century Polish historical panorama
Panorama
A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
s by Jan Matejko
Jan Matejko
Jan Matejko was a Polish painter known for paintings of notable historical Polish political and military events. His most famous works include oil on canvas paintings like Battle of Grunwald, paintings of numerous other battles and court scenes, and a gallery of Polish kings...
, paintings by Artur Grottger
Artur Grottger
Artur Grottger – 1867) was a Polish painter and graphic designer, one of the most prominent artists of the early 19th century despite his brief life.-Biography:...
, Henryk Rodakowski
Henryk Rodakowski
Henryk Rodakowski was a Polish painter.He was befriended by the painter and activist Leon Kaplinski.-External links:**...
, Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki
Henryk Siemiradzki was a Polish 19th century painter active in the period of foreign Partitions of Poland, and best remembered for his monumental Academic art...
, Jacek Malczewski
Jacek Malczewski
Jacek Malczewski was one of the most famous painters of Polish Symbolism. In his creativity he successfully joins the predominant style of his times with motifs of Polish martyrdom.-See also:...
and others.
The Chełmoński Room is devoted to landscape painting of the 19th century: Jan Nepomucen Głowacki, Wojciech Gerson
Wojciech Gerson
Wojciech Gerson was a Polish painter and professor.Born in Warsaw, Gerson enrolled at the Warsaw Fine Arts Academy and graduated with honorable mention and a scholarship to St. Petersburg Academy of Arts where he studied historical painting under A. T. Markov. He graduated from St. Petersburg with...
, Józef Chełmoński, Adam Chmielowski, Józef Brandt, Maksymilian and Aleksander Gierymski
Aleksander Gierymski
Ignacy Aleksander Gierymski was a Polish painter of the late 19th century. He was the younger brother of Maksymilian Gierymski, equally renowned Polish watercolour painter....
, Józef Pankiewicz
Józef Pankiewicz
Józef Pankiewicz was a Polish painter, graphic artist, and pedagogue.Pankiewicz was born at Lublin. He studied under Wojciech Gerson and Alexander Kamiński. He travelled to Saint Petersburg with Władysław Podkowiński after winning a scholarship to the Imperial Academy of Arts there...
and Leon Wyczółkowski, including Władysław Podkowiński’s controversial "Ecstasy" (1894, pictured).
Sculptures include Pius Weloński’s "Gladiator", Walery Gadomski’s "Salome", Piotr Wójtowicz’s "Perseus With the Head of Medusa", Teodor Rygier’s "Bacchante", Antoni Pleszowski’s "Sadness", Piotr Michałowski’s "Napoleon on Horseback" and Stanisław Lewandowski’s "A Slav Breaking Chains". Among the collection of portrait sculptures are, Piotr Michałowski’s self-portraits, Antoni Kurzawa’s "Mickiewicz Awaking the Genius of Poetry", Antoni Madeyski’s "Portrait of Aleksander Gierymski", Wiktor Brodzki’s "Instigations of Love", Piotr Wójtowicz’s "After a Bath" and Antoni Madeyski’s "Greyhound".