Portrait of Ignacy Jan Paderewski

At the turn of the 20th century, Ignacy Jan Paderewski was one of the most renowned and recognizable Poles in the world. His admirers included the most eminent figures from the world of art and politics. Paderewski was not only famous among the elite circles of artists and diplomats. First and foremost, he was very popular among the wider audience, most notably women. Audiences loved his charismatic playing style and personal manner, and he achieved a level of fame comparable to that of today’s pop stars. The British newspaper the Daily Chronicle even predicted that he would eventually need to employ bodyguards as public reaction to seeing the artist was becoming increasingly fanatical. On several occasions, female fans attempted to steal locks of his red hair. Also attesting to the magnitude of the virtuoso’s popularity was the development of an American trend to wear a tie “à la Paderewski.” It seems that, being aware of the importance of public perception, the pianist deliberately cultivated the image of a romantic artist. One of his extravagances was the private train in which he crisscrossed the Unites States – throngs of fans waited all day at the side of the tracks just to catch a passing glimpse of the master.