Fruit picking

Ludomir Sleńdziński continued the family tradition of Vilnius Classicism in painting, represented by his grandfather Aleksander and father Wincenty. Ludomir studied between 1909 and 1916 at the St. Petersburg academy under Dmitri Kardovsky, from whom he took over the early Renaissance stylisation, hapticism and linearity of representations, as well as a fondness for the techniques of the old masters. In 1920 Sleńdziński founded the Vilnius Society of Visual Artists, around which later gathered students of the monumental painting department, led by the artist from 1924 within the framework of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Stefan Batory University. After 1923, Sleńdziński also maintained regular contact with the Warsaw environment as a member of the Association of Polish Artists Rhythm. Thanks to this cooperation, he became an artist well received by government circles, presented at numerous official exhibitions abroad and receiving lucrative commissions. His paintings, reliefs and sculptures, skilfully combining tradition with the achievements of the 20th century avant-gardes, were a part of the all-European tendency of the return to order (frankly (French: rappel à l'ordre). They had a clear structure, harmonious construction and attractive, resonant colours, based on contrasts of malachite green and cinnabar or ultramarine, orange and gold. Apart from numerous portraits, genre and allegorical scenes, Sleńdziński's choices also included antique themes. Veduta backgrounds of paintings (Portret żony na tle Forum Romanum [The Portrait of a Wife against the Roman Forum], 1925), as well as characters of polychromed statues (Parys, 1928; Safo, 1930; Bachantka [Babcchante], 1938) referred to it. The canvas from the Szczecin collection, depicting a robust barefoot female figure carrying baskets filled with apples, should also be seen in this context. It is an image of the contemporary Pomona, the goddess of orchards, gardens and harvest, whose customary act clearly shines through from under a tight leotard blouse and flowing skirt as in the Greek style of wet robes.

Szymon Piotr Kubiak