Woman at the mills

Wooden sculpture by Wojciech Bytnar (1887-1968), a folk artist from Albigowa. It was created by the end of the artist’s life, who decided to return to his hobby – sculpting – at that time. This period coincided with an increased support for folk art in the aftermath of World War II. Bytnar showed his talent for sculpting in early childhood, making toys while herding cattle. Later, upon returning from his service in the Austrian army and the battlefields of World War I, he sculpted a nativity scene. Dabbling in sacral subjects – not only by Bytnar, but also by many other folk sculptors – was an emotional expression of artistic sensibility of the inhabitants of the countryside. When in the last years of his life the artist stopped taking care of his farm, he returned to art and took up sculpting again. The main theme of his works were scenes depicting traditional countryside activities and life, such as the presented woman at the quern. In terms of form, Bytnar did not bring anything new, opting for shapely, realistic figures and lifelike proportions. He remains one of the leading folk artists of the Łańcut district to this day. Joanna Kluz