Portrait of Rafał Malczewski

Due to the First World War outbreak, Jacek Malczewski, already as rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, came to Vienna. Rafał Malczewski was living there at the time. After the war, they returned to Kraków together. Rafał began to paint his first mature paintings. Jacek Malczewski spent much time in Lusławice between 1916 and 1918, and between 1919 and 1925, he lived there almost all the time. Sometimes he stayed at his daughter's house in Charzewice, and in these places, he met Rafał. Jacek Malczewski often portrayed his male offspring, much less his daughter. One of the paintings, Portret Rafała Malczewskiego [The Portrait of Rafał Malczewski], is held in the collection of the National Museum in Szczecin (dating from around 1920). It features both siblings, only Rafał is mentioned by name, but the girl's features are similar to Julia Malczewska's, the painter's daughter. The son is shown both in his youth and later as a thoughtful and sensitive person. Even in the family portrait in which he painted the family, the children have the son's facial features, none resembling the daughter. The image of Rafał also does not reflect his age. The portrait is very different from the paintings that dominate Jacek Malczewski's oeuvre. It is an oil on canvas of a much sketchier character than, for example, Jacek Malczewski's self-portraits, which are painted with attention to the minor details - the time-consuming artistry and excellent technique are evident in them, which, however, makes the painter appear not as a flesh-and-blood human being, but an idealised mask. The portrait from the Szczecin collection is painted with great freedom and lightness, although the son's face perfectly reflects his physiognomy and character traits. The painting is more a record of memories and co-presence than work with the potential for a masterpiece.

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