At stage

Na etapie [At the Stage] (1895) is one of Jacek Malczewski's exemplary works belonging to the period of martyrological and patriotic painting, in which the artist referred to the Romantic tradition, particularly to Artur Grottger's work and the poetry of Juliusz Słowacki (one of the most important bards of the time). It closes a series of works created for over ten years, showing the fate of those exiled to Siberia. Most of the paintings refer to literary themes, among which the most numerous are those from Słowacki's poem entitled Anhelli. The series also interestingly shows changes in the painter's attitude. The first canvases of the series are characterised by a typical realistic representation, while the painting from the Szczecin collection already shows a strong influence of the Munich school. Against a dark background, the central motifs are painted in a contrasting manner through the appropriate use of light, in this case, the face of a distraught woman looking at a dead boy body lying on a soldier's coat on the floor. The reaction of the other people watching the scene is highly varied as some of them do not react to what they see, some raise their heads, others sleep. The detail of the painting brings it close to the naturalistic style.

Beata Małgorzata Wolska