"Chicken Hut" painting

„Hen house”, painting by Franciszek Frączek Painting on cardboard made in 1946, it depicts the interior of a hen house. Its author is Franciszek Frączek, a painter originally from Żołynia in the county of Łańcut. He was born on January 25th, 1908. Having graduated from the popular school in Żołynia and the gymnasium in Łańcut, he commenced studies at the Kraków academy of fine arts, at the workshop of Władysław Jarocki and Xawery Dunikowski. Under the influence of Stanisław Szukalski he joined the artist group called the „Szczep Rogate Serce” [Wild Heart Tribe] and took on the pseudonym „Słońcesław” [wordplay on typical Polish names that may be interpreted as great sun or famous as the sun]. In the year 1929 he was removed from the university for membership in this group. He continued his learning at the creative workshop of Szukalski named the „Twórcownia”. Since the commencement of his membership in the Tribe, until his death, he associated himself with the group’s credo. Of all the students of Szukalski, he was the most consistent, and he went farthest in doing justice to the slogans he assumed. During the interbellum, he was a member of the peasants’ youth movement in the county of Łańcut, he e. g. headed the Rural Youth Club „Wici” [vine scrolls] and the operation of the Rural House in Żołynia. During the occupation, he organised secret education classes and cooperated with the resistance of the Home Army and Peasants’ Battalions. After the war, he was a social worker, promoting culture in towns and villages of the Rzeszów voivodeship. He pioneered the amateur theatre movement in the county of Łańcut. He was interested in folklore, he lectured and chaired the Polish Folk Study Association of Łańcut. He published a collection of legends from the Łańcut area, for which he created illustrations. Since the year 1962 he was a member of the Association of Polish Artists and Designers, he also co-founded and spiritually guided the artist group „Ziemia” [Land] active in Rzeszów since 1979. He worked with drawings, painting as well as ceramics. He created his unique, unmistakable style, art of Polish, of Slavic origins. In his work, he was inspired by the pagan history of Slavic lands as well as folk culture and traditions. He passed away on July 4th, 2006. His works form museum and private collections in Poland and abroad. Joanna Kluz