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Stanisław Mateusz Ignacy Wyspiański (; 15 January 1869 – 28 November 1907) was a Polish
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...
,
painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
,
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
, and interior and furniture designer. A patriotic writer, he created symbolic national dramas accordant with the artistic premises of the Young Poland movement. Wyspiański was one of the most outstanding and multifaceted artists in Poland under the foreign partitions. He combined
modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
with traditional Polish folk and Romantic themes. He became known unofficially as a fourth Polish bard, after the earlier Three Bards: Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki, and Zygmunt Krasiński).


Biography

Stanisław Wyspiański was born to Franciszek Wyspiański and Maria Rogowska. His father, a sculptor, owned an
atelier An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or vi ...
at the foot of Wawel Hill, in the Długosz House. His mother died of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
in 1876 when Stanisław was seven years old. Due to problems with alcohol, Stanisław's father could not fulfil his parental responsibilities. Stanisław was adopted by his aunt Joanna Stankiewiczowa and her husband Kazimierz. The Stankiewicz family belonged to the bourgeois intellectual class. In their house, Wyspiański became acquainted with painter
Jan Matejko Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale ...
, who was a frequent visitor. Matejko soon recognized that the boy had artistic talent and gave him his first artistic guidance. Wyspiański attended Saint Anne's
secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
. The school was unique for several reasons. First, although the Polish language was forbidden in educational institutions under foreign rule, the lectures at Saint Anne's were delivered in Polish. Second, the teacher's goal was to equip the students with a thorough knowledge of Polish history and
literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
. Third, graduates of the school, including
Lucjan Rydel Lucjan Rydel, also known as Lucjan Antoni Feliks Rydel (17 May 1870 in Kraków – 8 April 1918 in Bronowice Małe), was a Polish playwright and poet from the Young Poland movement. Life Rydel was the son of Lucjan Rydel, a surgeon, ophthalmolog ...
, Stanisław Estreicher and Henryk Opieński, were considered prominent figures in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
's cultural life. As a student, Wyspiański took particular interest in art and literature. According to Joanna Stankiewiczowa, the young Stanisław portrayed small cottages, animals, plants, armors and decorations. Wyspiański also created a dramatic interpretation of Matejko's painting ''Stefan Batory pod Pskowem (''Bathory at
Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...
'')''. In 1887 Wyspiański enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy at
Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...
and the School of Fine Arts in Kraków. While studying at the
university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
, he attended lectures in art, history and literature. Jan Matejko, the dean of the School of Fine Arts, soon recognized Wyspiański's talent and asked him to join in the creation of a
polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...
inside the Mariacki Church. The years 1890–1895 were devoted to travel. Wyspiański visited Italy,
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, Germany, Prague and France. His stay in France is regarded as a major point in his artistic life. He studied at the private Académie Colarossi. Since the school fee was very high, Wyspiański applied for a grant. During his stay in France he got acquainted with
Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...
. Together they visited art museums, where Wyspiański was bewitched by the beauty of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes's paintings. He also attended theatre performances based on
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
and classical era plays. His future dramas ''Daniel i Meleager (''Daniel and Meleagra'')'' and ''Powrót Odysa (''Return of Odysseu''s)'' were based on the antic tradition. Meanwhile, he worked on several dramas, ''Królowa Polskiej Korony (''The Queen of Polish Crown''), Warszawianka (''Varsovian Anthem'')'' and the first version of ''Legenda (''Legend'')''. The play ''Legenda (Legend)'' was based on the famous Polish
legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
of Wars and Sawa. In August 1894 he returned to
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, where he got involved in the modernist movement. It was then he designed and partially made a
polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...
for the
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
Church that was composed of flowery, geometrical and heraldic motifs. Moreover, the
prior The term prior may refer to: * Prior (ecclesiastical), the head of a priory (monastery) * Prior convictions, the life history and previous convictions of a suspect or defendant in a criminal case * Prior probability, in Bayesian statistics * Prio ...
of the church encouraged Wyspiański to design various stained glass windows, such as ''Blessed Salomea, Saint Francis Stigmata'' and ''
God the Father God the Father is a title given to God in Christianity. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first Person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, Jesus Christ the Son, and the third person, God th ...
''. Wyspiański received an award from the Polish Academy of Learning for the
landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...
of the ''Kopiec Kościuszki ( Kościuszko Mound)''. As a painter, interior designer and poet he cooperated with the Municipal Theatre in Kraków. First he designed furniture and
scenography Scenography is the practice of crafting stage environments or atmospheres. In the contemporary English usage, scenography can be defined as the combination of technological and material stagecrafts to represent, enact, and produce a sense of plac ...
for the theatre performances, then he staged various dramas on the stage of the theatre. He cooperated with the Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Art and in mid-1898 was named art manager of the weekly ''Życie (Life)''. Unfortunately, his first published dramas, ''Legenda (Legend)'', (1897) and ''Daniel i Meleager (Daniel and Meleagra)'' (1898), did not receive the acclaim of the critics. It was the ''Warszawianka (Varsovian Anthem)'' that brought instantaneous acclaim to its author. The premiere of the drama marked his debut as a playwright of national dramas. The theatre
premiere A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work. History Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...
of the drama on 2 July 1901 starred Helena Modrzejewska as Maria. The years 1899–1900 marked the publication of ''Protesilas i Laodamia (Protesilas and Laodamia), Lelewel (Lelevel)'' and ''Legion''. This drama is regarded to be the author's
polemic Polemic ( , ) is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called polemics, which are seen in arguments on controversial to ...
displaying a romantic vision of history. In 1900, Wyspiański married the mother of his four children, Teodora Pytko. In November the same year he participated in the wedding of his friend
Lucjan Rydel Lucjan Rydel, also known as Lucjan Antoni Feliks Rydel (17 May 1870 in Kraków – 8 April 1918 in Bronowice Małe), was a Polish playwright and poet from the Young Poland movement. Life Rydel was the son of Lucjan Rydel, a surgeon, ophthalmolog ...
in Bronowice, a village near Kraków. The wedding party was the inspiration for his widely acclaimed play '' Wesele (The Wedding)''. It is a deeply critical yet sarcastic exposé of Polish society of the 19th century. "''Wesele''" transformed Wyspianski from a moderately successful visual and verbal artist associated with the Young Poland movement into a national dramatist-visionary whose significance in Poland is comparable to Yeats's in Ireland, O'Neill's in America, or Maeterlinck's in Belgium." The drama made references to the contemporary situation in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
and depicted a powerless society. Although censorship barred the sale of copies of '' Wesele (The Wedding)'', the play was staged in the theatre. After the success of '' Wesele (The Wedding)'' four new plays based on Polish history were
published Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
: ''Wyzwolenie (Liberation), Achilles, Bolesław Śmiały (Boleslaus The Bold)'' and ''Legenda II (Legend 2)''. The following years were devoted to publishing of ''
Skałka Basilica of Saints Michael the Archangel and Stanislaus the Bishop, also known as Skałka, which means "a small rock" in Polish, is a church situated on a small outcrop in Kraków atop of which a Pauline monastery is also located. The crypt ...
'' and ''Powrót Odysa (Return of Odysseus)''; meanwhile Wyspiański translated Corneillea's ''Cyd (Le Cid)'' and
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
's '' Zaïre''. In 1906 Wyspiański became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
. He was also a member of the city council. In his last years, Wyspianski's health deteriorated. As a result, he underwent medical treatments in Rymanów and Bad Hall and then settled in his small
cottage A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager had to provide ...
in the village of Węgrzce. He died of
syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...
, which was incurable at the time. His funeral took place in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
and became a national day of mourning. Wyspiański was buried in the
Crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...
of the Distinguished in the Skałka Church.


Creative output

Wyspiański's artistic output is very eclectic. Among dramas and poetry, there are views of Cracow (drawings, sketch-books, oil-paintings, pastel drawings),
portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better r ...
s and
self-portrait Self-portraits are Portrait painting, portraits artists make of themselves. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, the practice of self-portraiture only gaining momentum in the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century ...
s, designs of
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows and paintings,
illustration An illustration is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process, designed for integration in print and digitally published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vi ...
s, graphic art, and designs for furniture and interiors, and development of
Wawel The Wawel Royal Castle (; ''Zamek Królewski na Wawelu'') and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. A fortified residency on the Vistula River in Kraków, it was established o ...
. Drawings, such as his 1890
self-portrait Self-portraits are Portrait painting, portraits artists make of themselves. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, the practice of self-portraiture only gaining momentum in the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century ...
, and drafts from his journeys across Europe and
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, are among Wyspiański's better-known works. He later created a
herbarium A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant biological specimen, specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sh ...
by drawing plants. However, he most frequently used soft
pastel A pastel () is an art medium that consists of powdered pigment and a binder (material), binder. It can exist in a variety of forms, including a stick, a square, a pebble, and a pan of color, among other forms. The pigments used in pastels are ...
techniques; his first pastel drawings were produced between 1890 and 1894. They mainly present the artist's family, friends and other artists. Wyspiański eagerly drew his children in everyday situations such as sleeping or feeding, including ''Helenka'' (1900), pastel drawing, owned by the National Museum in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
; ''Śpiący Staś (Sleeping Staś)'' (1902), pastel drawing, Silesian Museum in Katowice; ''Śpiący Mietek (Sleeping Mietek)'' (1904), pastel drawing, Museum of Art in
Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...
; ''Macierzyństwo (Motherhood)'' (1905), pastel drawing, National Museum in Kraków; and ''Żona artysty z synkiem Stasiem (The Artist's Wife with Their Son Staś)'' (1904), pastel drawing, now at the Upper Silesian Museum in
Bytom Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital. It is one ...
. Using this technique, he painted many of his acquaintances and artists, among others Kazimierz Lewandowski, Jacek Malczewski, Eliza Pareńska, the Kryształowicz family,
Ludwik Solski Ludwik Solski (20 January 1855 - 19 December 1954), born Ludwik Napoleon Karol Sosnowski, was a Polish stage actor and theatre director. From his stage debut in 1876 until his death (his last performance took place six months after his 99th birth ...
, Irena Solska, and Jan Stanisławski. He painted landscapes of
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
 – the
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
Planty Park with desmans (also painted in oil), the Vistula Rudawa River, cottages in Grębowo, and at the end of his life, views from his studio to the Kościuszko Mound. He also created a poster for Maeterlinck's ''Wnętrze (Interior)''. Part of his output constitutes various designs – mainly
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows,
polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...
s and interiors. Stanisław Wyspiański and Józef Mehoffer designed 36
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows together for the Mariacki Church in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
to help Matejko with the church conservation he had been involved with since 1889. During their stay in Paris they both made two boxes for the competition of the Rudolfinum Hall Decoration Design in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
and curtain designs for the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
. However, Wyspiański himself designed
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows and
polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...
s for the Franciscan Church in Kraków (with the famous stained glass window ''Stań się''),
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows depicting Saint Stanislaus, Kazimierz the Great and Henryk Pobożny for Wawel Cathedral (not executed until 2005–2007 in the Wyspiański 2000 Pavilion), the design of a showroom of the Fine Arts Society (1904), and stairs and hall decoration for the Medical Society. In 1905 Wyspiański and Władysław Ekielski designed a scheme for redevelopment of the Wawel Hill (the so-called ''Acropolis''). File:Krakow Medical Society house, Apollo-stained glass window design by Stanisław Wyspiański, 4 Radziwillowska street, Krakow, Poland.jpg, ''Stained glass: Apollo (System Copernicus)'', 1904, Medical Society in Kraków, 4 Radziwillowska street File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Witraz - Spotkanie w Zlotej Bramie - MNK IV-Sz-2348 1 (20761).jpg, ''Stained glass: Meeting at the Golden Gate'', 1902-1906, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Stained glass - Annunciation to Joachim - MNK IV-Sz-2348 5 (21016).jpg, ''Stained glass: Annunciation to Joachim'', 1902-1906, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Witraz - Zwiastowanie - MNK IV-Sz-2348 3 (20890).jpg, ''Stained glass: Annunciation'', 1902-1906, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Witraz - Nawiedzenie - MNK IV-Sz-2348 4 (20953).jpg, ''Stained glass: Visitation'', 1902-1906, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Witraz - Aniol nakazujacy sw Rodzinie ucieczke - MNK IV-Sz-2348 9 (21275).jpg, ''Stained glass: Angel ordering the Holy Family to escape'', 1902-1906, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Witraz - Ucieczka z Egiptu - MNK IV-Sz-2348 10 (21339).jpg, ''Stained glass: Escape from Egypt, 1902-1906, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Witraz - Ukrzyzowanie - MNK IV-Sz-2348 13 (21530).jpg, ''Stained glass: Crucifixion'', 1902-1906, National Museum in Kraków


Leading stage plays

* '' Warszawianka (Varsovian Anthem)'' (1898) * '' Klątwa (The Curse)'' (1899) * '' Protesilas i Leodamia'' (1899) * ''
Meleager In Greek mythology, Meleager (, ) was a hero venerated in his '' temenos'' at Calydon in Aetolia. He was already famed as the host of the Calydonian boar hunt in the epic tradition that was reworked by Homer. Meleager is also mentioned as o ...
'' (1899) * '' Legion'' (1900) * '' Wesele (The Wedding)'' (1901) * '' Wyzwolenie (Liberation)'' (1903) * '' Weimar 1829'' (fragment, 1904) * '' Noc listopadowa (November Night)'' (1904) * ''
Acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...
'' (1904) * ''
Skałka Basilica of Saints Michael the Archangel and Stanislaus the Bishop, also known as Skałka, which means "a small rock" in Polish, is a church situated on a small outcrop in Kraków atop of which a Pauline monastery is also located. The crypt ...
'' (1907) * '' Powrót Odysa (Return of Odysseus)'' (1907) * '' Zygmunt August'' (1907 – unfinished)


Selected works


Stained glass and polychrome designs

File:Stanisław Wyspiański - John Casimir's Oath - MNK II-b-516 - National Museum Kraków.jpg, ''John Casimir's Oath'', 1892-1894, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanislaw Wyspianski - Polonia - MNK II-b-517 (98386).jpg , ''Polonia'', 1893-1894, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanisław Wyspiański - Błogosławiona Salomea. Projekt witraża do okna prezbiterium kościoła Franciszkanów w Krakowie - MNK III-r.a-160911-15 - National Museum in Kraków.jpg, ''Blessed Salomea of Poland'', 1897, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanisław Wyspiański - God the Father – Design to the Stained-Glass Window for the Franciscan Church in Krakow - MNK II-b-514 - National Museum Kraków.jpg, ''Become!'', 1904, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanisław Wyspiański - Archers – Fragment of the Composition „Fallen Angels”. Design to the Painting Decoration in the Franciscan Church in Krakow - MNK III-r.a-10767 - National Museum in Kraków.jpg, ''Archers – Fragment of the Composition „Fallen Angels”'', 1895, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanisław Wyspiański - Róże. Projekt do polichromii kościoła Franciszkanów w Krakowie - MNK III-r.a-16970 - National Museum in Kraków.jpg, ''Roses'', 1897, National Museum in Kraków


Portraits

File:Stanislaw Wyspianski - Girl in a Blue Hat - MNK III-r.a-10896 (195911).jpg, ''Girl in a Blue Hat'', 1895, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanisław Wyspiański, Macierzyństwo - hi-res tiff.tif, ''Motherhood'', 1902, National Museum in Warsaw File:Stanisław Wyspiański - Helenka 1900.jpg, ''Helenka'', 1900, National Museum in Wrocław File:Dziewczynka z wazonem z kwiatami,1902.jpg, ''Little Helen with a Vase'', 1902, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Mietek Leaning on Hands - MNK III-r.a-10757 (187697).jpg, ''Mietek Leaning on Hands'', 1904, National Museum in Kraków File:Stas spiacy.1904.jpg, ''Sleeping Staś'', 1904, National Museum in Poznań File:Macierzynstwo 1905.jpg, ''Motherhood'', 1905, National Museum in Kraków File:2xEliza Parenska.jpg, ''2xEliza Parenska'', 1905, National Museum in Wrocław File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Portrait of a Boy - MNK III-r.a-2505 (78996).jpg, ''Portrait of a Boy (Józio Feldman)'', 1905, National Museum in Kraków


Self-Portraits

File:Stanisław Wyspiański, Autoportret.jpg, ''Self-Portrait'', 1902, National Museum in Warsaw File:Stanislaw Wyspianski - Autoportret - MNK III-r.a-12544 (296187).jpg , ''Self-Portrait'', 1903, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanislaw Wyspianski - Self-Portrait with Wife - MNK III-r.a-10895 (195852).jpg , ''Self-Portrait with Wife'', 1904, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanislaw Wyspianski - Self-Portrait from the Month Before Dying - MNK III-r.a-4780 (374514).jpg, ''Self-Portrait from the Month Before Dying'', 1907, National Museum in Kraków


Landscapes

File:Stanisław Wyspiański - View of the Municipal Theatre Krakow from Zacisze Street - MNK II-b-3513 - National Museum Kraków.jpg, ''View of the Municipal Theatre Krakow from Zacisze Street'', 1894, National Museum in Kraków File:Stanisław Wyspiański - The Barbican and the Floriańska Street – View from Zacisze Street - MNK II-b-3512 - National Museum Kraków.jpg, ''The Barbican and the Floriańska Street – View from Zacisze Street'', 1894, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Widok na Kopiec Kosciuszki. Szary dzien - MNK III-r.a-10892 (195691).jpg, ''View of Kościuszko Mound'', 1905, National Museum in Kraków File:Creator-Stanislaw Wyspianski - Krajobraz znad Rudawy - MNK III-r.a-10899 (196096).jpg , ''Rudawa river'', 1905, National Museum in Kraków


Wyspiański Museum and monuments in his honor

At the beginning the Stanisław Wyspiański Museum in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
was located in the Szołayski tenement house built in the 17th century. Since 2021, the Old Granary has housed the Stanisław Wyspiański Museum. It is a new division of the National Museum in Kraków, sometimes referred to as the NMK Wyspiański. The museum holds the largest collection of Stanisław Wyspiański's works in Poland, including 1 100 objects. At All Saints' Square, the ''Wyspiański 2000'' Information Exhibition Pavilion is a rare example of contemporary architecture in the Old Town, featuring three of Wyspiański's
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows. In 1996 a plaque for Stanisław Wyspiański was unveiled at ''Hotel Nordbahn'' (since 2008 '' Austria Classic Hotel Wien'') at Praterstraße 72 in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
's Leopoldstadt, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ''Österreichisch-Polnische Gesellschaft'' (''Austrian-Polish Society'') and Wyspiański's frequents stays at the hotel, where among other things he wrote his German dramatic fragment ''"Weimar 1829"'' in summer 1904. In front of the new National Museum building in Kraków on 3-go Maja Street there is a monument to Stanisław Wyspiański. 2007 was named ''the Year of Stanisław Wyspiański'' by the
Polish Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
.


Kraków streets associated with Wyspiański

* 26 Krupnicza Street: Wyspiański was born at 26 Krupnicza Street in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, in a house that belonged to his grandparents. He lived there until 1873. * 25 Kanonicza Street: In the summer of 1873 Wyspianski's family moved to the house of
Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...
. Wyspiański's younger brother and mother died here. In the autumn of 1880 Wyspiański moved into the house of his uncle and aunt. * 1 Kopernika Street: Between 1880 and 1883 he lived in the house of the Stankiewicz family, site of the later PTTK Tourist House and the present Wyspiański Hotel. * 2 Zacisze Street: Here was the Stankiewicz family's new apartment. It was on the second floor of the now non-extant Central Hotel at the junction of Zacisze and Basztowa streets, with a view onto the
Barbakan A barbican (from ) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe Medieval Europeans typically b ...
and the Planty Park. Because of the hotel's expansion, the Stankiewicz family was forced to move out in 1885. * 1 Westerplatte Street (then Kolejowa Street): In July 1895 the Stankiewicz family began living here in an apartment on the ground floor at the corner of Kolejowa and Lubicz streets. Currently at this site there are arcades and stairs to an underground passage. At the time Wyspiański had his studio in the nearby village of Grzegórzki, where he worked on
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
window designs for the Franciscan Church. * 10 Poselska Street: After a few months at Westerplatte Street, Wyspiański's uncle died and Wyspiański and his aunt went to live at 10 Poselska Street in a second-floor apartment. * 9 Mariacki Square: In July 1898 Wyspiański rented a room at the junction of 9 Mariacki Square and 4
Rynek Główny Rynek may refer to the following places: * Rynek, Masovian Voivodeship (east-central Poland) * Rynek, Subcarpathian Voivodeship (south-east Poland) * Rynek, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (north Poland) {{geodis ...
. In 1907 the house was taken down and replaced by an Art Nouveau tenement block. The flat was used as a studio. Wyspiański at the time was registered at 23 Szlak Street in the house of his future wife, Teofilia Pytko. * 79 Krowoderska Street: In 1901 Stanisław Wyspiański received an award from the Academy of Learning for his
stained-glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows for Wawel Royal Castle. This enabled him to rent a seven-room apartment at 79 Krowoderska Street, on the second floor, at the corner of Juliusza Słowackiego Avenue. He lived there with his family and also had a studio there. Allegedly there was a sign on his door: "Here lives Stanisław Wyspiański, who does not wish to be visited." * Węgrzce near
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
: After another prize for landscapes depicting the Kościuszko Mound awarded by the Academy of Learning, Wyspiański moved to his own house in the village of Węgrzce (nb 5). The house, now demolished, has been replaced by another private residence. There is a stone at the site with a commemorative plaque erected on the 100th anniversary of the artist's birth. * 1 Siemiradzkiego Street:The hospital where Wyspiański died on 28 November 1907 still exists, although it operates now as a maternity hospital. It is situated on the corner of Siemiradzkiego and Łobzowska streets.


See also

* List of Polish language authors *
List of Polish language poets List of poets who have written much of their poetry in Polish language, Polish. See also Discussion Page for additional poets not listed here. Three 19th century poets have historically been recognized as the national poets of Polish Romantic l ...
* List of Polish painters *
List of Polish people This is a partial list of notable Polish or Polish-speaking or -writing people. People of partial Polish heritage have their respective ancestries credited. Physics * Miedziak Antal * Czesław Białobrzeski * Andrzej Buras * Georges ...
(visual arts) * National Museum, Kraków * Young Poland


Footnotes


Bibliography


English Literature

*Zimmer, Szczepan K. (1959) ''Stanisław Wyspiański, Biographical Sketch,'' translated by Helena Maria Zimmer


Polish Literature

*Brodnicki, W. (1970) ''Między niebem a piekłem''. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Łódzkie. *Kępiński, Z. (1984) ''Stanisław Wyspiański''. Warsaw: Literatura. *Nelken, H. (1959) ''Stanisław Wyspiański''. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Arkady *Skoczylas, L. (1972) ''Stanisław Wyspiański – życie i twórczość''. Cracow: Książnica Powszechna.


German Literature

* Taborski, Roman (1996) ''Stanisław Wyspiański – der große Schöpfer der polnischen Moderne : anläßlich der Enthüllung der Wyspiański gewidmeten Gedenktafel in Wien'' (Ed.: Edward Hałoń) . Vienna: Zentrum für Verbreitung d. Wiss. d. Poln. Akad. d. Wiss.


External links


Digital collection of artworks by Stanisław Wyspiański at the National Museum in KrakówStanisław Wyspiański
at culture.pl

at poezja.org
Stanisław Wyspiański – The Theatre of InteriorsR. Starzewski, The Wedding by S. Wyspiański
The first review of ' (''The Wedding Reception'')

(13 April 2007 – 2 September 2007), (Szołayski House) Exhibitions Archive of 2007, ul. Szczepańska 11

at pinakoteka.zascianek.pl by Witold Raczunas. Stanisław Wyspiański: Stained-glass (1). {{DEFAULTSORT:Wyspianski, Stanislaw 1869 births 1907 deaths Jagiellonian University alumni Académie Colarossi alumni Architects from Kraków Artists from Kraków Writers from Kraków Polish male poets 19th-century Polish painters 19th-century Polish male artists 20th-century Polish painters 20th-century Polish male artists Polish male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Polish poets 19th-century Polish dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Polish male writers 20th-century Polish dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Polish poets 20th-century Polish male writers Polish male painters Deaths from syphilis Writers from Austria-Hungary