Selected works from the exhibition 'Stanisław Wyspiański: Portraits', which features 16 of the most admired portraits by the painter and writer. Many of them have never been shown outside of Poland.
As a leading figure of the Young Poland modernist movement, which was based primarily in Kraków, Wyspiański was hailed by many Poles as the voice of a nation divided by foreign powers. In response to the country’s political non-existence, Young Poland aimed to create a new national art rooted in folk traditions and the exploration of cultural identity. The movement is considered crucial in the events that led to Poland’s independence in 1918.
The exhibition in London pays tribute to the painter, designer, poet, and pioneer of modern Polish theatre. In his portraits, Wyspiański uses bold colour and striking lines, with figures pressed to the picture plane or tilted away from it at sharp angles.
The exhibition is open from 27 March to 13 July 2025 at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
