Janowiec, western part of the castle courtyard

Wojciech Gerson (1831–1901) tied his professional life in Warsaw, where he conducted extensive scientific, cultural and pedagogical activities. He began studying architecture and painting at the local School of Fine Arts. In 1867, he opened a private studio for students, and from 1871 he managed the famous Drawing Class, in which several generations of students received their artistic education - including J. Chełmoński, J. Pankiewicz and L. Wyczółkowski. In the years 1849–1953 he co-founded the so-called Marcin Olszyński's group, referred to as the first Warsaw bohemia, bringing together students of the School of Fine Arts. Artists from the circle of Olszyński - a patron of art and photographer, were guided by patriotic ideas related to the desire to renew Polish painting, implemented during artistic activities during their travels around the country and wandering around Warsaw. Already during his studies, Gerson and his friends set off on "water-foot journeys", documenting the journey in dozens of sketches in pencil or watercolours. By analysing the drawings, usually precisely described and dated by the artist, one can trace the route of his journey. Gerson travelled to the Lublin region twice. The view of the Firlej Castle in Janowiec comes from his second trip, which he made in 1853 in the company of M. Olszyński, J. Cegliński and J. Majewski. It led from Warsaw through Przytoczno and Łysobyki to Lubartów, Zawieprzyce and Lublin, and then to Puławy, Bochotnica, Kazimierz and Janowiec. Gerson spent at least three days in Janowiec, documenting his stay with several drawings. The first shots of the castle were taken, dated on 9 August, and two days later, the artist made a sketch of the chalice from the church in Janowiec. Dating from the first quarter of the 16th century, the castle picturesquely situated on the promontory of the Vistula plateau, had two internal courtyards separated by a wall. Gerson's shot shows the western Little Courtyard with the remains of a chapel built after 1689 by the Kraków voivode and Kazimierz starost, Jerzy Dominik Lubomirski. Built over the well, the chapel's one-story storey housed the well's intake devices, the upper one - the actual chapel, which was accessed from the cloister's floor in the Great Courtyard.

Anna Hałata