II RP - Photo of the Monument Project for Stanislaw Witkiewicz (Father) - Vítkovice Emblem

Size: 14 x 9 cm
Photo of an unrealized monument to Stanislaw Witkiewicz (1851-1915) from the interwar period, designed by Emblem of Witkowice.
The design is characterized by a synthetic, geometric approach to form, which refers both to the Zakopane style and to modern trends in monumental sculpture of the 1920s and 1930s.
The monument's basic structure has a vertical, columnar character, and its core was developed in a manner reminiscent of highland decorative pillars and architectural ornamentation of wooden Zakopane villas. The geometric, engraved patterns and regular arrangement of the planes are reminiscent of stylized woodcarving and Podhale craftsmanship, processed here on a monumental scale.
The most expressive element of the composition is the bust of Stanislaw Witkiewicz, placed at the top, made in an economical, geometrized style, emphasizing his stern face and characteristic features. This sculptural style may have been inspired by modernism and expressionism, but also by folk art forms, in which simplified mass and strong cuts imposed a rhythm on the composition.
This project, despite its frugal aesthetics, strongly alludes to Witkiewicz's thoughts on creating a national style - but in a transformation in line with the spirit of modern monumental sculpture. It is possible that the author was a student of the School of Wood Industry in Zakopane, where experiments were made with combining traditional ornamental forms with modernist principles of composition.
This monument can be read as a synthetic, hieratic take on Witkiewicz's legacy, in which the austerity and simplicity of the form emphasize his role as the creator of the Zakopane style and spiritual guide of Polish art.
-
Stanislaw Witkiewicz (May 21, 1851 in Poszawsz - September 5, 1915 in Lovran) - Polish painter, architect, writer, art theorist and critic, considered the creator of the Zakopane style, which became the national style in Polish wooden architecture. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg and in Munich.
As an artist he became famous for his landscapes and genre scenes inspired by the Tatra Mountains and highland culture. His architectural activity focused on adapting traditional Podhale forms to modern needs - an example is the famous "Koliba" villa in Zakopane. Witkiewicz was also an active publicist, promoting the idea of revival of national art.
He died in 1915 in Lovran (today's Croatia), where he was treated for tuberculosis; his ashes are buried in the Pęksowy Brzyzek cemetery in Zakopane. Father of Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy).
Condition as in photos.