Jacek Malczewski – Romanticism

The exhibition of artworks by Jacek Malczewski at the Main Building of the National Museum in Kraków was inspired by the fact that 2022 marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Adam Mickiewicz’s Ballads and Romances, widely seen as the manifesto of Polish Romanticism. The presentation of 150 works from the museum’s archives and private collections introduces three main themes in the artist’s work rooted in traditions of Polish Romanticism. They are Messianism inspired by Juliusz Słowacki (including paintings from the Siberian cycle and several versions of the Death of Ellenai), his fascination with folklore, legends and fairytales, and Malczewski’s contemplations of art, inspiration and the artist’s responsibility.