Flowers in a White Jug

The picture of a bunch of flowers in a white jug is one of Tymon Niesiołowski’s (1882–1965) early works, of which only a few have survived. The picture was painted when the artist did not yet know which direction in art he would take, and did not even suspect that in 1926 he would find himself in Vilnius. The still-life was created when he was contemplating the purpose and significance of art in the developing national culture of modern Poland. In 1909, he became a member of theSociety of Podhalian Art (Sztuka Podhalańska), which promoted applied arts and handicrafts, and therefore he encountered the question of creating beautiful things, both in theory and in practice. He also designed textile decorations for the Kilim society in Zakopane, where he lived from 1905. It is therefore no wonder that he became interested in painting still-lifes. But Niesiołowski felt too constrained by the utilitarianism of the applied arts, and decided to concentrate on painting. After the First World War, he joined the Polish Expressionist movement, and soon became a member of a small group of ambitious artists who called themselves Formists (Formiści), and aspired to create a modern style art in the new Poland. The focus on colour, the flattened space and the black contours, which we can see in this still-life in the Ellex Valiunas collection, make the composition more decorative. These characteristics eventually became a distinguishing feature of Niesiołowski’s personal style. Polish researchers associate this with his interest in the Synthetism of Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) during his Zakopane period, and the influence of the work of Władysław Ślewiński (1856–1918). Text author Giedrė Jankevičiūtė.