Patron of patriots
Artur Grottger's name is symbolic in Wroclaw.
Not only is the National Museum in possession of his drawing series ("Warsaw I" and "War"), but it also held a legendary exhibition of his works which, in 1987, became both an artistic event and a demonstration of patriotism. After more than one hundred years since their creation, Artur Grottger's works became the symbol of the strife against the despised political system (against foreign invaders in the 19th century, and against domestic invaders in the 1980s). Ewa Halawa, who was the exhibition's curator at the time, managed to combine all Grottger's drawing series, including "Warsaw II", on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, or the famous "Polonia", which travelled all the way from the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest.
This time round Ewa Halawa will also act as the exhibition's curator, and the event is expected to draw a lot of young people, who may have not had the chance to see the works of the painter, who died prematurely at the age of 30.There will be two of his series on display to study them in detail: "Warsaw I" (from 23 November) and "War" (from 26 November). Although each series contains just several works (seven works in the former, and eleven in the latter), each of them deserves a commentary, not only on its art, but also its history.
Warsaw AD 1860
Artur Grottger worked on "Warsaw I" during his stay in Vienna, where he remained devoted to the Polish cause. He took particular interest in the events that followed the funeral of Karolina Antonina Sowińska, General Józef Sowiński's widow, held in September 1860. The burial of this great patriot transformed into a mass demonstration which resulted in repressions, including Russian soldiers looting the churches, and 100 casualties at the demonstration to block the dissolution of the Agricultural Society. Even though Grottger did not take part in the events of 1860 and 1861 himself, his rendition remains faithful in its detail and in its absolutely unique style.
Misery, famine and the ravages of war
Grottger started working on "War" (1866–1867) in Poland, and he completed it in Paris, where the series was also put on display and made an impression so huge that is was soon purchased by the Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph. Each and every drawing in the series was dedicated to Wanda Monné, Grottger's beloved whom he could not (and did not manage to) marry. Both lovers are represented in the drawings, where they symbolise the Artist and the Muse, his guiding spirit very much akin to that of Dante's Divine Comedy. Grottger represented the horrors of war and its aftermath (parting with the loved ones, ravages of war and famine) in such a graphic detail that his drawings now serve as illustrations in history textbooks.
Both "Warsaw I" (until 23 November) and "War" (from 26 November until 14 December) will be on display at the National Museum in Wroclaw.
