Peasant family in chamber

As part of its policy of compiling museum exhibits, the National Museum in Szczecin tries to acquire works of artists related to Pomerania, and in particular the history and culture of Szczecin. For a number of years, August Ludwig Most was in the very centre of the museum’s interests; Most, born in Szczecin, was a student at the Royal Prussian Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin; after the studies and a brief study stay in Dresden, he settled in the capital of Pomerania for good. In Szczecin, Most not only created his art and was involved in artistic education, but also co-organised the cultural life of the city. Most’s extensive artistic accomplishments encompass numerous genre scenes presented outdoors and in interior, Pomeranian and mountain landscapes, city views and countless portraits ordered by the representatives of the contemporary elite. The joyful genre scene is actually a portrait of a modest family in ceremonial folk attires, presented in their home. In the realistic composition, the artist showed the family making music and dancing during a cheerful celebration ˗ probably a family event ˗ or maybe just spending a Sunday afternoon. By presenting the furniture and the fittings of a peasant hut in detail, Most evokes the traditions of Dutch 17th century painting, simultaneously documenting the contemporary customs and fashion in Bavarian or Tirol villages and small towns. In archival sources, it was recorded under the title “Tirol Family. Father Dancing with a Small Child on His Arm” along with information that shortly after its creation (approx. 1846), it was sold to Hamburg. It became a part of the Szczecin collection over 150 years later ˗ in 2008 it was purchased in Munich via the Ruef Auction House.

Dariusz Kacprzak