Still life

Marek Żuławski was one of the Polish artists active in London. He came from a family that contributed to Polish culture in many fields. In 1935 he went on a tour of Western Europe. He visited Italy, went to Paris on a scholarship, and after two years moved to London, where he settled permanently. He returned to France in 1947. The National Museum in Szczecin holds a Martwa natura [Still Life] by Żuławski from 1937, when he settled permanently in London after a scholarship in Paris. This experience - contact with two critical centres of art - was undoubtedly a significant inspiration for him. On the table plane, from the left, is a pyramid of apples and a bunch of grapes on a plate, a jug with a figural ornament and a metal lid. Behind it is a metal teapot and a filled glass somewhat obscured by the spout of the teapot at the top and two reclining lemons at the bottom. The tabletop was painted in an irregular shape close to an oval. The composition on the right is closed by a neutral plane of the wall; on the left, there is a fragment of a painting with a couple of figures against the sky. Everything is painted in bright colours. The painting shows features of Post-Impressionism. Colour plays the most vital role. Żuławski was famous for his depictions of people. Also here, the human figure finds its place, both in the painting and in the jug with figural ornamentation.

Beata Małgorzata Wolska