Krakowskie Przedmieście in Lublin

Krakowskie Przedmieście, as the main and most representative street of Lublin, was often portrayed by artists, both very famous and local. Among numerous views from that time, a drawing by Wojciech Gerson stands out, which was copied in lithography by Julian Cegliński. Gerson was a representative of realism in art, he cared about the accuracy of drawing, precision in presenting details and perspective. Despite his care for the correctness and realism of the depiction, the work is distinguished by the subtlety of the line and delicacy of the quality. The viewer does not feel overwhelmed by the walls of tall tenement houses as the artist appropriately framed them away from the eye of the beholder. In this shot, Gerson omitted to show the symbol of Lublin - Brama Krakowska (Gate of Kraków), moving the frame to the further part of the street, to the height of the Capuchins' church. However, he did not deprive the view of the motif characteristic of the city. In the distance, in the perspective of the street, the squat silhouette of the Trinity Tower is visible, as well as fragments of the towers of the Holy Spirit Church and the New Town Hall.

Gerson was a patriot sensitive to the beauty of his native land. He eagerly drew the Polish landscape and architecture. Together with his friends, also architecture graduates of the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, he went on walking tours of the country. Many drawings documenting views of cities and village life come from this period. During his stay in Lublin, he made a view of Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, which was copied by his schoolmate and fellow walker Julian Cegliński. The expedition during which they visited Lublin took place around 1849-1853.

Cegliński also drew and painted a lot, and his main interests were landscape and city views. He published his works in magazines, including the "Tygodnik Ilustrowany", which gave him the opportunity to earn money, as his paintings did not always sell well. Cooperation with publishing houses provided the artist with a fairly regular source of income.