After the Uprising

The painting is a suggestive comment on the debacle of the January Uprising of 1863, and the subsequent period of national mourning. The everyday nature of the depicted scene is misleading since the painting carries an allegorical meaning. The insurgent is a symbol of defeat in the fight for freedom, the woman in black reminds the observer about the national bereavement and grief, while the little girl provides a ray of hope for the regaining of Poland’s independence in future.