Keep Your Chin Up: Polish Art Humour During the Pandemic
Times are hard and they demand of us that we behave responsibly and rationally. But a bit of humour can also come in handy to help us get through this difficult period. Culture.pl takes a look at some humorous and artistic Polish reactions to the lockdown and the pandemic.
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Jarek Kubicki’s remake of ‘Gazebo’ by Aleksander Gierymski, photo: press materials
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During the height of the lockdown restrictions in Poland, even parks and forests were made off limits to the public, to facilitate social distancing and limit the spread of the disease. Those who visited such places despite the ban faced fines. This caused a lot of social frustration, especially since the parks and forests were closed at the beginning of spring when the pleasant weather invited outdoor activities (fortunately, these restrictions have recently been relaxed).
An artist that tapped into this social tension brilliantly is Jarek Kubicki who – in response to the quarantine – created a series of remakes of famous paintings featuring… policemen. Kubicki took iconic scenes showing people in various situations and introduced modern day police officers issuing fines into them. 32nd Day of Quarantine, created via digital painting in early April, quickly went viral and attracted the interest of the media in Poland and abroad.
One of the most eye-catching pieces in Kubicki’s series is the remake of the 1882 painting W Altanie (Gazebo) by Aleksander Gierymski. Gierymski (1850-1901) was among Poland’s most important realist painters and Gazebo is considered one of his finest works.
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In the autumn of 1875, Gierymski began a few years preparatory work for the painting ‘Gazebo’, showing an elegant Rococo congregation resting in a garden in the full glare of the sun. Paradoxically, in this particular composition in which he retained the style of historical costumes, the artist finally freed himself from the rigid rules of academic convention, and achieved, through individual experiments, effects close to that of impressionist paintings.
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Aleksander Gierymski bio, Culture.pl
In Kubicki’s rendition of Gazebo the rococo costumes of the original characters are juxtaposed with the present-day uniforms of the Polish policeman, creating a humorous anachronism. The policeman are placed in such a way, that it seems as though the characters on the left hand side of the front table are disgruntled by him issuing the fine. In the original, they are listening to the conversation taking place at the other end of the table.
Jarek Kubicki’s remake of ‘Introduction’ by Jacek Malczewski, photo: press materials
Another work in the 32nd Day of Quarantine series is a remake of Jacek Malczewski’s 1890 painting Introdukcja (Introduction). The highly-valued Malczewski (1854-1929) is best remembered as an initiator and representative of Symbolism in Polish painting. Here’s how his Introduction is described by Urszula Kozakowska-Zaucha at the website of the National Museum in Kraków (imnk.pl):
The composition shows an apparently trivial genre scene in a setting of lush greenery. The main character is a young boy – a painter’s apprentice – reflecting upon his visions. He is presented in a way that makes the viewer reflect on the mystery of artistic inspiration and the unclear relationship between human senses and the nature of dreams.
In Kubicki’s remake, the boy is unaware of the policeman behind his back, which creates some suspense – will he too get a fine?
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Jarek Kubicki’s remake of ‘Nighthawks’ by Edward Hopper, photo: press materials
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Kubicki doesn’t limit himself only to Polish paintings: in his rendition of Edward Hopper’s famous Nighthawks, you can see a Polish policeman rushing toward the sleepy diner. In total 32nd Day of Quarantine includes 16 works; they can all be viewed on Kubicki’s website which is available in English.
Jarek Kubicki (born in 1976) is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk where he studied at the Department of Industrial Design. He creates paintings (digital as well as traditional), photographs and music album covers. Kubicki points to the celebrated Polish painter Zdzisław Beksiński as one of his main inspirations. Apart from creating art he has also done work in the field of advertising.
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Photo replica of ‘Sapphire Self-Portrait’ by Stanisław Wyspiański; ‘Sapphire Self-Portrait’ by Stanisław Wyspiański, 1894, photo: www.facebook.com/MuzeumNarodowe
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Another humorous artistic reaction to the pandemic was prompted by the National Museum in Warsaw. Following in the footsteps of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Getty Museum in California, at the beginning of April they challenged their Facebook fans to recreate famous artworks from the museum’s collection at home. The idea was to choose one of the many paintings displayed on the museum’s website and create your own version at home using props and costumes found around the house. With over 800,000 objects in its collection, the National Museum in Warsaw is one of Poland’s biggest museums – so there was what to choose from!
The fans of the National Museum in Warsaw responded willingly to the challenge by presenting a number of great recreations. Among them a remarkable replica of Stanisław Wyspiański’s 1894 Autoportret Szafirowy (Sapphire Self-Portrait). Wyspiański (1869-1907) was a highly influential Polish playwright, poet, theatre director and painter of the modernist era. Here’s how his Sapphire Self-Portrait is described on the National Museum in Warsaw’s website:
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Amidst a progression of blues that intensifies from left to right, from a dramatic contrast of light and shade, emerges a strongly outlined face with a piercing gaze of cold eyes, surrounded by red facial hair.
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National Museum in Warsaw website, trans. MK
The astonishing similarity of the photographic replica elicited enthusiastic comments from Internet users: ‘Incredible! A doppelgänger’, ‘That’s lifelike’, ‘Is Wyspiański your great-granddad?’
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Photo replica of ‘Girl Peeling Potatoes’ by Franciszek Ejsmond; ‘Girl Peeling Potatoes’ by Franciszek Ejsmond, between 1886-1893, photo: www.facebook.com/MuzeumNarodowe
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Another of the replicas made by the National Museum in Warsaw fans fabulously recreates the painting Dziewczyna Obierająca Ziemniaki (Girl Peeling Potatoes) painted by Poland’s Franciszek Ejsmond between the years 1886 and 1893. Ejsmond (1859-1931), who studied painting in Munich, is best remembered for his buoyant portrayals of country life and genre scenes.
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A somewhat idealised genre scene: a pretty, young villager, smiling and clad in colourful attire, barefooted, sits (turned to the right) next to a country cupboard with a potato and knife in hand. (…) It appears this image was made in Ejsmond’s Munich days, that is before he returned to Warsaw in 1893.
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National Museum in Warsaw website, trans. MK
The photograph includes nearly all the key elements of the original, such as the potato peels on the floor, and seems to have brought quite a bit of joy to its creators (notice the carefree expression of the model).
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Photo replica of ‘Guitar Player’ by Jean-Baptiste Greuze; ‘Guitar Player’ by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, ca. 1757, photo: www.facebook.com/MuzeumNarodowe
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Like in the case of Kubicki’s series, the National Museum in Warsaw’s challenge wasn’t limited only to Polish artworks. For example, one of the fans recreated the painting Gitarzysta (Guitar Player) made by the French artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze around the year 1757.
In this rather funny replica the model is wearing tights made from… bandages. Plenty of other elements in the photograph were recreated in a makeshift manner as well, which marvellously contrasts with the meticulous repetition of the original model’s awkward pose.
More fan-made replicas can be found on the National Museum in Warsaw’s Facebook page, including ones that curiously substitute certain elements with… toilet paper – an item that has been much sought after during the lockdown.
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‘It’ll Be Fine’ by Good Looking Studio, 2020, photo courtesy of www.goodlooking.pl
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A nice surprise from Good Looking Studio: in mid-April this Warsaw-based company specialising in hand-painted outdoor advertising and artistic murals created a unique project for the inhabitants of Warsaw.
In Bracka Street in downtown Warsaw they created a simple mural consisting of the words ‘Będzie dobrze’ (It’ll be fine) and a smiley face. Just black lettering on a plain yellow background, nothing more. Piotr Ruszkowski, the creative director of GLS, explains that the mural is meant to bring hope to passers-by:
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It feels as if there’s an excess of negative information, dark statistics and visions of the post-pandemic crisis in all kinds of media. Therefore we wanted to give the citizens of Warsaw something positive, some light in the tunnel and a hope for a better tomorrow.
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Goodlooking.pl, trans. MK
GLS also made a few similar murals in other places in the city. They’re all made up of positive slogans like głowa do góry (keep your chin up) on bright-coloured backgrounds.
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‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’ by Good Looking Studio, 2020, photo courtesy of www.goodlooking.pl
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The company has also commented on the pandemic with a more serious mural in Warsaw’s Tamka Street, which shows appreciation for Polish medics. The idea for this project created in early April came from the website natemat.pl. In the image, which includes the sign ‘Nie każdy bohater nosi pelerynę’ (Not all heroes wear capes), you can see a figure evocative of Superman and a group of bystanders looking up to a group of medical workers.
Nadpisz opis powiązanego wpisu
Like their colleagues in other countries, Poland’s medical workers are on the front line of the fight against the pandemic and deserve the utmost respect for their commitment. Let’s hope that thanks to these brave medics, the responsible behaviour of populations, and a bit of sense of humour, the uneasy situation of the pandemic will eventually turn out fine.
Like their colleagues in other countries, Poland’s medical workers are on the front line of the fight against the pandemic and deserve the utmost respect for their commitment. Let’s hope that thanks to these brave medics, the responsible behaviour of populations, and a bit of sense of humour, the uneasy situation of the pandemic will eventually turn out fine.
Author: Marek Kępa, May 2020
