Wrota (Drzwi) | Gates (Door)
1996
National Museum in Szczecin
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Treść ścieżki edukacyjnej
Fun and learning – these are two categories that describe childhood, regardless of the times we live in. But that is probably the end of the similarities. What we play with, what we wear, how we comb our hair, what we are allowed or not to do, is determined by the era in which we live. So let us take a look at the childhood in the past. You will be amazed!
Small adults
what used to be the dernier cri
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Let us travel back in time to the 17th century. We are in the Commonwealth
– How much longer are we going to stand like this!? – the brothers posing for the portrait must be thinking.
– Just don't move! – asks the painter.
But five-year-old Jerzy and three-year-old Francis did not seem to mind. After all, it was not so bad, because they were allowed to hold the fur-lined hat in their hand and not on their head.
If the brothers’ father, Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski, had wanted to immortalise himself in the portrait, it would have turned out that he was dressed almost the same as the boys!
All because the clothes of small children were sewn in the likeness of adults. So maybe from a child’s perspective it was a bit uncomfortable, and above all, not suitable for unhampered play, but is it not an honour to look like a highly respected father?
Let us now take a look at 18th century France
The patience of King Louis XV’s daughter was also put to the test. The latest fashion trend was shaping the figure in such a way to make a narrow top contrast with a wide bottom. This effect could be achieved, above all, by compressing the chest with a laced corset. This was done from an early age, so that the body of a growing child would not develop naturally, but would adapt to the shape imposed by the corset. There is no doubt that this was not only uncomfortable, but also unhealthy.
But how to sit in it or walk through the door?
To make the torso look slimmer, the bottom also needed to be widened. For this purpose numerous petticoats or hoops were used, a kind of frame on which the skirt was placed. Thus the circular shape of the dress was formed.
Better together
or the fact that there is more to family than meets the eye
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A difficult task confronted Queen Maria Kazimiera: how to make all the children willingly pose for the family portrait?
Fortunately, she had her ways. One of these was to shorten long and often double names to short, diminutive forms.
And so, at the top left we see the eldest son, whom she called Kubeczek [Mug]. The red robe visible on his shoulders was a royal symbol. Jakub Ludwik, his real name, was to succeed his father, King Jan III Sobieski, on the Polish throne.
Below the boy there are his two brothers – Alexander, or Minionek, and Konstantin, or Murmurek.
In the bottom left corner of the painting, Teresa Kunegunda, who was addressed as Pupusieńka, is squatting.
The youngest son lies carelessly in his mother’s arms. His name was Jan, but the Queen preferred to call him Jaś or Filonek.
Probably not courtly etiquette, but a genuine bond prompted these two boys to embrace warmly
Dressed almost identically – you can see that they were of a similar age. You would think they were twin brothers. But no!
They were Alfred and Adam Potocki. Although they bear the same surname, they were not siblings, but cousins. They both lived in Łańcut. The boys spent a lot of time together, not only playing, but also learning.
In a childhood full of excitement a lifelong friendship was born!
Under the guidance of teachers, the cousins had to master the difficult art of calligraphy and horse riding. They spent their free time outdoors on the swings and in the sandbox. At home, wonderful toys awaited them, often brought all the way from Vienna. So there was a rocking horse and armour with a sword for knightly tournaments, as well as soldiers.
In the heat of the game
or that the coolest toys do not have to be expensive
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Playing outdoors lets your imagination run free
Then you can build yourself a fortress out of stones and branches, and use... a stick to defend it. However, in order to appear serious in front of your friends, your weapon must look credible and threatening.
This is certainly what the authors of the presented toy were thinking. They immediately associated a piece of birch branch with a gun. The wire was used to attach a cartridge case found somewhere accidentally. Everyone would feel safe with such an armament.
But what would the opposing teammates come up with?
First, let us make sure we have all the pieces we need for the game
These are called pick-a-stick.
King, queen, sub-king, sub-queen, pope, female pope and cattle – checked.
The required number of players – from two to ten – checked.
So it is time to get started!
The first player places a set of pick-a-sticks on the inside of his palm. Then he tosses them all up in the air and tries to catch them on the back of his hand. This is a game of skill, but it also requires tactics. Is it better to catch as many random pick-a-sticks as possible, or to concentrate on a single figure – the highest scoring one? One pick-a-stick is not equal to another. A cattle is one point, a pope and a female pope are four points each, a sub-king and a sub-queen are eight points, while a king and queen are twelve points.
Tactics may have varied, as did grappling techniques.
Such pieces were popular in the early 20th century, especially in villages. As they were made of wood, they could be made by a grandfather or older brother.
It is time to learn
or the fact that school has more than one name
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I think everyone remembers from their childhood those awful phrases: “this is not for kids” or "you will get it when you grow up”
And yet, from an early age, we look up to our parents and want to do what they do. But it turns out that sometimes there are pleasant exceptions.
This tiny vehicle designed for children is a miniature of the adult version!
It has the same components and looks identical. Perhaps with one exception... It was not big horses that were harnessed to it, but smaller animals, such as goats. These looked no less magnificent, as they were carefully selected – especially those with long hair and spectacularly curled horns.
It all sounds like a lot of fun, but it was really all about learning...
Children learned to drive from an early age. In addition, they took riding lessons. These were basic skills that, back in the 19th century, every child from a respectable and wealthy family had.
Is the ability to read something exceptional?
Not today, but around 100 years ago every third Pole did not have this ability.
The first steps in learning Polish were taken with elementary school books. The name comes from a Latin word meaning something initial. A primer was therefore the right choice to start learning. With its help, children learned the letters and formed words from them. Then they could move on to reading short poems and stories.
Like today’s textbooks, the primer books of the past contained drawings to help understand the content
Of course, there was also space to practise writing. However, the owner of this primer was creative and left his own pictures and notes in the margins.
It is to be hoped that they have indeed helped him to learn.
Not just crowned heads
or that every child deserves a portrait
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For many years, only the wealthiest could afford to have their child’s portrait painted
Usually these were royal families or the most distinguished families.
The Auguste portrayed here was not the daughter of a king, but of a Szczecin merchant. We are in the 19th century, when paintings were increasingly commissioned by the bourgeoisie, who wanted to emphasise their position in society this way.
That is why Auguste wore a festive white dress adorned with a collar ending in lace. She weaved a pink headband into her hair. This prevented strands of hair from falling into her face and at the same time allowed her to show off her long crystal earrings.
Enough of this stiffness! Isn't it better to show children in their natural poses?
Even if the collar did stand out a bit and the hair did not listen to the comb.
Such an idea appeared at the end of the 19th century. Children living in the countryside were considered naturally beautiful models. They were portrayed more and more often, showing at the same time the connection between the village and tradition. A few years’ old girl holds catkins in her hand, which means the willow twigs. Christians bring them to church on Palm Sunday. We can therefore assume that it was on this spring day that the girl was going to consecrate the twigs.
The model is dressed modestly, but still festively
This is evidenced not only by the white collar, but also by the string of red beads tightly wrapped around her neck. The painter has made no attempt to hide anything – the delicate blush on her cheek makes the child even more charming.
Different techniques
or the fact that children’s portraits do not have to be painted
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Little Joasia was portrayed by her uncle, Roman Kramsztyk
Although he was a painter, this time he did not use canvas and paints, but a special brown crayon called sanguine.
It is used mainly for drawing, but also to make sketches, i.e. preliminary drawings. Sanguine works are often quite simplified, as we can see from the way the girl is dressed. Although we can distinguish a dress, an apron and a jumper, they are presented in a schematic way. Kramsztyk paid most attention to the model’s face, rendering her features precisely.
The portrait was made in 1927 and has survived almost 100 years in the family archive!
As it was made on paper that does not tolerate humidity or too much light, it is very lucky. After all, it could have misplaced itself during the tragic war years. One can therefore see that the Kramsztyk family took great care of this precious family heirloom.
Sometimes we dig them out years later from a dusty cardboard box hidden somewhere in the attic. Other times we look at them in family albums...
Photographs, as they are referred to, are precious family memorabilia. With time, however, an unsigned photograph becomes illegible. Who is in it? What year was it taken? Even if we do not know, every photograph gives us insight into the past.
This boy was probably captured on a photograph in the 1920s.
This is evidenced by his hairstyle – extremely fashionable at the time. It was also a time when shorts (often with braces) and knee-high socks reigned supreme. The colours reserved for children were mainly navy blue and black. A white collar was a must – it added elegance to any situation.
The photograph could have been taken either in a private home, or in an atelier, i.e. a photographic studio. The objects gathered in such a place are actually elements of the scenography. They are set up in such a way to arrange the space we need at a given moment.
Dictionary of terms:
Christianity – one of the world’s three most widespread religions based on belief in one God; the most important book for Christians is the Bible.
Bourgeois – a social group that consisted mainly of wealthy city dwellers; burghers often worked as merchants or artisans.
Palm Sunday – Christian holiday celebrated seven days before Easter, commemorating the arrival of Jesus to Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday palm trees and willow branches are blessed in churches.
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