Composition 2 

The painting of Tadeusz Eysymont (1924–1991) represents a significant chapter in the history of art in Szczecin and Western Pomerania. He was one of the founding members of the Sopot Group, formed by fourteen graduates of the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Sopot. In 1953, they arrived in Szczecin – or rather, were assigned there by the central authorities of the time – with the aim of revitalising cultural life in what were then called the Recovered Territories. In 1954, Eysymont began working at the Central Bureau of Artistic Exhibitions and joined the Szczecin branch of the Association of Polish Visual Artists, soon becoming its chairman. Alongside painting, Eysymont was also active in applied and decorative arts. He designed interiors for ships built at the Szczecin shipyard. He was the author of the decorative façade of the Dana Clothing Industry building, combining elements of mosaic and bas-relief (1978), as well as large-scale copper sheet compositions for the University of Szczecin and the Neptun Hotel (1984). From the late 1950s, non-representational forms began to dominate Eysymont’s work. This was the period when he created the *Compositions* series, made up of numbered paintings. The undated *Composition 2*, one of seventeen works by the artist held in the collection of the National Museum in Szczecin, likely originates from this time, around 1958–1959. Nearly at the same time, he also developed other series, such as *Constructions* and *Rhythms*, followed in 1962 by *Traces*. Eysymont was increasingly drawn to informel and matter painting, experimenting with various techniques and non-traditional materials. His compositions are marked by their tactile surfaces and incorporation of everyday objects – found bits of cardboard, glass, stones, sand or matchsticks. His works are usually kept in earthy tones, punctuated by occasional accents of bright colour. Marlena Chybowska-Butler