Head - bust

Aleksander Winnicki studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow with Wojciech Weiss, Józef Mehoffer and Xawery Dunikowski. He was one of the co-founders of the Cracow Group, which brought together artists with leftist views, fascinated by the changes in art: cubism, abstractionism, expressionism, which resulted in a radical rejection of realism. Władysław Strzemiński became their patron. His theories and those of Kazimierz Malewicz were the primary references for their vision of art. The Second World War caused the paths of these artists to diverge. Winnicki became closer to Artur Nacht-Samborski. Under his influence, he turned towards traditional forms and great masters. The painting Głowa – popiersie [The Head – Bust] by Winnicki, in the collection of the National Museum in Szczecin since 1971, was painted in 1957. It is a portrait of a woman simplified in form, en face, up to her waist. Although the work was created after the war, when the artist turned his attention to traditional form, it is strongly influenced by Cubism and Expressionism.

Beata Małgorzata Wolska