Stanislaw Czajkowski
(1868 – 1954)
Harvest, 1910
oil on canvas
72.2 x 98.3 cm
MG-1193
The painting Harvest from 1910 exemplifies the artist’s style and is best described by his own words, reflecting his personal views on art: The artist is like a bee: gathering impressions of beauty, which is so seldom discussed today. (...) The artist’s integrity lies in diligent work: exploring and synthesising themes, refining painting skills, and avoiding clichés, blasphemy, and superficiality. The summer scene of a bountiful harvest was painted directly from nature after studying under the modernist painter Jan Stanisławski (1860 - 1907). The dense grey clouds hanging over the harvest scene serve as a reminder of the artist’s earlier symbolist works.
Czajkowski first attended a painting course with Wojciech Gerson (1831 - 1901), a leading figure in Polish realism. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, later at the Munich Academy, and at the Académie Julian in Paris. Upon his return from Paris, he continued his studies with Jan Stanisławski, who had the most significant influence on Czajkowski’s work. His preferred subjects were landscapes and rural scenes.
Text: Dajana Vlaisavljević, museum consultant of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb