All images belong to their respective owners, displayed with links to the source.
Cover: Slave labour by Banksy (image: flickr/DeptfordJon)
07.02.2026
The text is an extension of an essay written in may 2025 for a class conducted by Agnieszka Goluch entitled “Society and free time in XIX century”, that is a part of bachelor degree studies of Art History in University of Warsaw.
Let's look at paintings of XIX century through the art of two very unique artists of Poland and Austria.
It is a time of great changes which happen as a result of, among others, the industrial revolution.
In the ideology of Ancient Greeks – art had a very important function of education, forming the values of the society.
Since the beginning of italian renessaince, artists and philosophers seeked to understand and benefit from the achievements of ancient greeks and romans.
Beauty was to conciously reference the masterpieces of the past – in terms of proportions, compositions or topics.
Lifesciencehistory.com Link
Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
1844
Link
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
Rembrandt
1632
Link
The Academias of Fine Arts in Europe are dominated by academic painters. The streets are full of workers. In the factories people work for many hours. The air is heavy. The world is changing and the feeling of that is not always tasty.
The pace of the development, which influances many relevant historical moments of contemporary world is also a turning point. Somehow waiting for everything to get better. Maybe everything will get into place by itself. New generation is slowly dropping of traditions and ways of thinking that are not consistent with the newly formed world, based on the idea of capitalism.
Artists are seeking for new subjects and ways of storytelling. They look at life of newcomers that inhabit cities, seeking for the promised work and a imprevement of living conditions. Artists benefit from the tradition and history of newcomers– and they are the message – there are changes happening and the society needs to change too. That also create new directions and possiblities for the artistic world.
XIX century Europe is dominated by great monarchies.
Poland is not depicted on maps anymore.
Dirce chrześcijańska
Henryk Siemiradzki
1897
Link
It is the end of XIX century. Pablo Picasso creates one of his first autoportraits, along with a depiction of his sister's first communion. He is learning the craft of painting under a strict control of his father – painter and academic teacher.
The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh
1889
Link
Henri Matisse is introduced to Impressionism and the art Vincent van Gogh by John Russel. The world of perfected, beautified academic paintings is not anymore consitent with the society and the world around.
And so a critique is relevant – the overly perfected paintings in the world of factories and social changes that happen in the stench of steam engines, grease, coal and poverty is not coherent.
Adults and children are working. Shifts take up to 14 hours, six days a week.
The Birth of Venus
Alexander Cabanel
1863
Link
Slave Labour
Banksy
2012
Link
Until half of the eighteenth century, nature is not an obvious choice for painters – not only in the mainstream of arts.
Many artists stay indoors, in the studios and academic buildings.
Art is reqiured to work with historical pictures and traditions of antiquity – portrating landscapes as a subject is not common. Nature is considered unfamiliar – perhaps still dangerous and unavailable.
Gustav Klimt – Landscapes,Stephan Koja, Verena Perlhefter p. 17
“Until the middle of the eighteenth century, most travelers were principally interested in the human world, in the artistic and historic monuments of bygone times, in the civilization of foreign peoples. Nature, untouched and uncultivated by man, appeared intimidating, unaesthetic, dangerous.”
Some artists manage to finally observe a panoramic view of the picture of what surrounds them. In the landscapes you can see scaffolding, factories chimneys. Travelling becomes more accessible due to the development of railways. Natural landscapes are now silently accepting the terror of metal rails of the industry.
Motion is important. Transport of goods and of the people.
First concepts of turistic industry emerge.
The Gare Saint-Lazare, Arrival of a Train
Claude Monet
1877
Link
Painters and photographers are rushing to capture what was not primarly visible. It is only until the end of XIX century that the tension is slowing down. Many artist, that never grew into the academic mainstream now create on the basis of the idea which is completely opposite to the oldfashioned academic tradition.
It is in the individualism – depicting the place and the way it is being percieved. Emotions are now relevant – feelings, and most of all the delicacy of seeing. The idealised images of women dissapear – the mithological goddesses.
Gustav Klimt – Landscapes, Stephan Koja, Verena Perlhefter p. 17
“Before the nineteenth century, the category of landscape painting also enjoyed less esteem in Europe than the treatment of religious, historical, or mythological themes or portraiture.”
Mont Sainte-Victoire with Large Pine
Paul Cézanne
1887
Link
Landscapes tend to be more visible in painters works. It begins to be relevant for the artists, but also for the galleries and saloons. Among others reasons – a new ways of spending the labour-free time is a key factor.
Eduardo Manet
Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe
1863
Link
Initially it is common for painters to only create compositional sketches in while out there – they make all the necessary works in the contemplation of studios. Gradually it is more relevant to work in situ, en plein air – as for it allows for a more authentic portraiting of the space and the feeling that is in there, created by light and shadows.
Gustav Klimt – Landscapes, Stephan Koja, Verena Perlhefter p. 21
Les Hasards heureux de l’escarpolette
Jean-Honoré Fragonard
1767
Link
Planty o świcie
Stanisław Wyspiański
1894
Link
It is only thanks to the art of impressionists that it is visible how the landscape can be emotional and relevant. And so, values like precision and fantasy representations of reality or the antique themes are slowly being rejected. To keep it short – there's no more way artists will try to make the depicted reality better than it is.
La Femme à l'ombrelle — Madame Monet et son fils
Claude Monet
1875
Link
Gustav Klimt is born in a small village on the subburbs of Vienna on the 14th of July 1862. The artist that seems to be a exemplary figure in the idea of the world after the first Industrial Revolution. After his final decline of a proposal to work at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, the young painter begins his career to become the most important Austrian painter – and the leading figure in the art nouveau – to become a well respected and considered artist of the modern times.
But first, he creates a scandal with the images created for the University Hall in Vienna.
Gustav Klimt, Luba Ristujczina, p. 14, 34, 38, 179, 42
Gustav Klimt – Landscapes, Stephan Koja, Verena Perlhefter, p. 21
He is learning in the studio of admired master – Hans Makart – one of the leading artistic figure of Austria. Gustav Klimt is working on wall decorations but also graphics and portraitas. He will be indeed known for his portraits – soon he becomes considered as the best paid portraitist of his times. His support was coming form the emerging Jewish intelligentsia, among others. He cocreates a Vienna Secession group which is on it's way to leave the conservative saloons of Austria capital city.
Ornament becomes relevant – not only in the art of painting but also in typography and architecture. Forms that are fluid and floral are the most popular.
It is in fact in the 60s and 70s that the Vienna turistic movement appears – especially with the railroad reaching the Carinthia lake and Salzkammergut mountains.
Since 1846, the former capitol city of Poland is ruled by the austrain partitioner. It is now facing a harsh reality of poor imigrants moving in, galicians among others, who try to find safety and some labour within the city' walls. The artistic life is planting its' seeds in many directions, seeking to protect the existance of Polish identity. Existing under the Austrain partitioner, Polish nation was not strangled yet neither it was unlimited. On 15th of January 1869 Stanisław Wyspiański is born. The child will be considered as the fourth prophet of Polish nation.
Controversial and appreaciated, the young artist is growing up in the city filled up with political tensions – and the urge to keep up the Polish spirit. As a fully developed artist he seeks and creates a new, visionary idea of Arts as well as Polish identity. His visions are based on religious and mythological sources. The art of Stanisław Wyspiański is certainly one of the most important points of the new national art, coherent with alikes in the european culture. Today it is labeled as "Young Poland" – the Polish Art Nouveau.
As a young felllow, he was fascinated by theatre. After school, along with his friends, he recreated scenes from theatre, obviously not forgeting to act like youths. In 1882 he was accused of climbing to the tower and putting in motion the bell of the Zygmunt's tower. Since early childhood, he was thought to draw and paint. He begins to study under the supervision of Jan Matejko – the contemporary dean of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, who is the painter of impressive historical depictions. Jan Matejko takes up this position since 1872.
Young painter dies in age of 38. The prophet's legacy is full of original ideas formed into visual crafts and literature. Paintings, drawings, architecture, stained-glass, furniture, interiors, art conservacy, typography and posters. And there are also his literatures – dramas and poems, translations – all this distinguish him as one of the most unique Polish artists.
In his short life, he travells couple of times to the contemporary center of the artistic and cultural Europe – the Paris. On the ocassion of this visits, he has an opportunity to visit some of the most impressive medieval cathedrals in France, where he studies the art of stained-glass.
Gustav Klimt travels to the italian Ravenna. He admires the richness of byzantine golden mosaics – their simplicity and decorativeness – which later is visible in the art of his own.
Joanna Bojarska-Syrek, Wyspiański: Witraże, p. 5, 6, 7, 12
Both Wyspiański and Klimt remain bounded with the contemporary capitals of their countries – where they become well-known, benefiting from the advantages of being the “Artist” – and even though their financial quality was not to be compared, they both travel – looking for inspiration and well deserved rest.
They seem alike. Yet. their legacy and artistic oeuvre, the ability to create outstanding emotional portraits – as well as unique way in which they percieved reality are in fact coming from a very much different origins.
It is summer 1895, Wyspiański is out of the city, grasping fresh air in the cities nearby Cracow: Bielan, Krzemionek, Przegorzał, Zabierzowa. He collects and sketches flowers, giving them poetic names. In november he will be dreaming of Paris, as Cracow is perhaps not his place. Now, it is time for him to find inspiration outside of the country. Perhaps because life there seems to be more carefree, if compared to the nonexisting Poland.
He wanders the boulevards along the Seine river and pleases his eyes with the sights not available in Poland. For over six year now, Paris has a new symbol – the tower of Gustave Eiffel. Essambled for the Exposition Universelle.
Stanisław Wyspiański. Artysta i wizjoner. Luba Ristujczina, str. 96
Gustav Klimt
1989
Link
The same year Gustav Klimt formulates the ideas of his art – perhaps already aware of the importance and the need of formation of the Viennan Secession group. It will be offically public on the 3rd of April 1897. A poster, created by the artist for the first exhibition of the group is a initially a figure facing emptiness.
[edit: 20.02.2026]
Et in Arcadia Ego – Nicolas Poussin might have been an inspiration for the figure.
The tragic life events as well as a rapid development of his career are not easy to handle. The Austrian painter is not avoiding social life yet he is far from being in the center of the intensive social saloon parties and cafe meetings – and this is where usually the intelectual and artistic personas meet. He is seeking for some space of his own, being rather focused on creating – see speaks with portraits, polichromic paintings and the publishing of the secessian “Ver Sacrum” – “The Sacred Spring”. He finds inspiration in the Roman sculptures and antique art. He developes the secessian motifs along decorative ornaments of ancient greece.
Gustav Klimt, Luba Ristujczina, p. 6, 35, 92, 93, 179
In 1898 he finally grasps a new wave – it becomes accessible to travel out of the city. He will now spend much more of his summer time among friends outside of Vienna. His focus is now on his personal, uncommisioned paintings. Health and physical conditions are very relevant for him. He was fascinated by water sports – sailing and rowing. He will be perhaps a first owner of a motorboat.
By Attersee it is calm and silent. Today, the lake is one of the main leisure spots in Austria. Klimt studies nature – trees, fields of flowers – as well as he takes care of his own garden. It is commonly portraited by him.
The images created in that period are the greatest proof for his outstanding skills – strong compositions with intensive colours and depth. He also sketches and paint a castle and buildings visible on the other side of the lake. Along with friends, he spents much time on a boat.
It is quite common that they have binoculars.
Wikipedia Link
The paintings are striking with the richness of colours and their graphic-like value. A certain type of simplification. The colours are not limited by sharp edges. The depth is achieved only with a delicay of tonal, subtle differences that formulates the planes.
The artist studies water and the reflection that appear on it's surface – perhaps in a symbolic way depicting inner calmness as well as a visible harmony of the place. The paintings influance the viewer with the quality of colour but also the rhythm. It is visible, that the artist is not interested in capturing the impressionistic elusivness of light or the feeling of a certain moment of the day. The images are captured in a timeless form. It is not in a certain moment, but in the beauty of a frame, creating a fullness of vision. The images are simplified and do not depict the contrast of light and shadow.
It seems that Gustav Klimt is not focues on the symbolic, mystical value of the landscapes, which seems so relevant in his ornamental work in the portraits compositions. Each touch of the brush seems to be balanced and calm. Perhaps indeed he seeks for some getaway.
I would argue that the very opposite of that is visible in the artworks by Stanisław Wyspiański, who depicts huts with tension and heat. The compositions are symbolic and every color matters. The art of Poland is using different symbols, compared to Austrian accademism.
It is summer 1900 – residenting in the village of his wife Teodora, Konary near Tarnowiec, Stanisław creates a series of pastel. The lines of huts' roofs, fences, windows and other elements seems to be unified with nature. Perhaps only the color indicates what are the boundries of man-made objects and nature. Althought the colours are in calm tones, the line seems to shiver.
Stanisław Wyspiański. Artysta i wizjoner. Luba Ristujczina. str 136, 141
Zagroda w Konarach
Stanisław Wyspiański
1900
Link
Couple of month later the artist hits a theatre. Wesele, a drama play premieres. And it is not taken lightly.
Artist, misunderstood and somewhat rejected, bounces back to the safety of the household, where he focuses on time with his family – constantly working.
It is not too long until a bounce off – the stained-glass images that he creates are instantly recieved as masterpieces.
fot. mat. Teatru im. Słowackiego
The original poster for the drama play
Link
Planty o świcie
Stanisław Wyspiański
1894
Link
The biographies of both artists indicates how importat it was for them to travel, yet for a very different reasons. Gustav Klimt seeks for recreation, healing his mind, body and soul in nature. He is pleased to be surrounded by silence of the greenfields. Daily rhythm is important, he spends a lot of time focusing on phycial activities, not omiting his friends. The off-the-city time allows him to distance from the allegories and symbolism of his commercial work – so often based on the antique motifs but also relevant for the contemporary social tensions. Stanisław Wyspiański, seens as the creator who is very fragile regarding the beauty of nature and, perhaps, life – finds his own way in life off the main city square, after the scandal and unability to move to Paris. He is full of tensions and contradictions. He is often misunderstood and considered hostile.
My final argument here is that those two were very much similar – yet their surroundings and, most importantly, the political situation of their countries were very much different. They seem to be a kind of a mirror for their countries.
Gustav Klimt dies in 1918.
Stanisław Wyspiański dies in 1907.
At the beginning of the XX century, union and later government workers in Austria recieve a benefit of vacation, which allows them to enjoy the newely developed railroads. The conditions begin to improve.
In 1918 Poland becomes an independent country and along formulating of the new goverment and new constitution, women recieve the rights to vote. The polish nation is now facing a lot of challenges.
In Austria, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy declines. It is the end of Habsburg's rule.
Gustav Klimt and Stanisław Wyspiański are still relevant and quite often surpirse the viewer with the originality and richness of their ouvre – and in my humble opinion they both represent the hights of the european art, which are not yet marked with the tragedies of the World Wars.
The beauty of art is that it is perceived individually.
Do not believe me – see for yourself.
Perhaps it is only a decent selection of the examples. A bias.
Polish artist worked in the reality of the partition – in the world of dependence, inner symbols and hope. He was torned by the Polish spirit and a need to move out, create and work in the country he percieved as free. The Viennian artist, revolutionary in many conditions was in the context of a well developed and understood discipline. Any comparisons and observations are presented here only for education.
I write sometimes, texts alike the one above.
Hopefully it was fun.
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I will notify you about other blog posts via e-mail.
Maybe about paintings, my own, or the one in the History of Arts.
All images belong to their respective owners, displayed with links to the source.
Cover: Slave labour by Banksy (image: flickr/DeptfordJon)
07.02.2026
The text is an extension of an essay written in may 2025 for a class conducted by Agnieszka Goluch entitled “Society and free time in XIX century”, that is a part of bachelor degree studies of Art History in University of Warsaw.
Let's look at paintings of XIX century through the art of two very unique artists of Poland and Austria.
It is a time of great changes which happen as a result of, among others, the industrial revolution.
In the ideology of Ancient Greeks – art had a very important function of education, forming the values of the society.
Since the beginning of italian renessaince, artists and philosophers seeked to understand and benefit from the achievements of ancient greeks and romans.
Beauty was to conciously reference the masterpieces of the past – in terms of proportions, compositions or topics.
Lifesciencehistory.com Link
Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
1844
Link
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
Rembrandt
1632
Link
The Academias of Fine Arts in Europe are dominated by academic painters. The streets are full of workers. In the factories people work for many hours. The air is heavy. The world is changing and the feeling of that is not always tasty.
The pace of the development, which influances many relevant historical moments of contemporary world is also a turning point. Somehow waiting for everything to get better. Maybe everything will get into place by itself. New generation is slowly dropping of traditions and ways of thinking that are not consistent with the newly formed world, based on the idea of capitalism.
Artists are seeking for new subjects and ways of storytelling. They look at life of newcomers that inhabit cities, seeking for the promised work and a imprevement of living conditions. Artists benefit from the tradition and history of newcomers– and they are the message – there are changes happening and the society needs to change too. That also create new directions and possiblities for the artistic world.
XIX century Europe is dominated by great monarchies.
Poland is not depicted on maps anymore.
Dirce chrześcijańska
Henryk Siemiradzki
1897
Link
It is the end of XIX century. Pablo Picasso creates one of his first autoportraits, along with a depiction of his sister's first communion. He is learning the craft of painting under a strict control of his father – painter and academic teacher.
The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh
1889
Link
Henri Matisse is introduced to Impressionism and the art Vincent van Gogh by John Russel. The world of perfected, beautified academic paintings is not anymore consitent with the society and the world around.
And so a critique is relevant – the overly perfected paintings in the world of factories and social changes that happen in the stench of steam engines, grease, coal and poverty is not coherent.
Adults and children are working. Shifts take up to 14 hours, six days a week.
The Birth of Venus
Alexander Cabanel
1863
Link
Slave Labour
Banksy
2012
Link
Until half of the eighteenth century, nature is not an obvious choice for painters – not only in the mainstream of arts.
Many artists stay indoors, in the studios and academic buildings.
Art is reqiured to work with historical pictures and traditions of antiquity – portrating landscapes as a subject is not common. Nature is considered unfamiliar – perhaps still dangerous and unavailable.
Gustav Klimt – Landscapes,Stephan Koja, Verena Perlhefter p. 17
“Until the middle of the eighteenth century, most travelers were principally interested in the human world, in the artistic and historic monuments of bygone times, in the civilization of foreign peoples. Nature, untouched and uncultivated by man, appeared intimidating, unaesthetic, dangerous.”
Some artists manage to finally observe a panoramic view of the picture of what surrounds them. In the landscapes you can see scaffolding, factories chimneys. Travelling becomes more accessible due to the development of railways. Natural landscapes are now silently accepting the terror of metal rails of the industry.
Motion is important. Transport of goods and of the people.
First concepts of turistic industry emerge.
The Gare Saint-Lazare, Arrival of a Train
Claude Monet
1877
Link
Painters and photographers are rushing to capture what was not primarly visible. It is only until the end of XIX century that the tension is slowing down. Many artist, that never grew into the academic mainstream now create on the basis of the idea which is completely opposite to the oldfashioned academic tradition.
It is in the individualism – depicting the place and the way it is being percieved. Emotions are now relevant – feelings, and most of all the delicacy of seeing. The idealised images of women dissapear – the mithological goddesses.
Gustav Klimt – Landscapes, Stephan Koja, Verena Perlhefter p. 17
“Before the nineteenth century, the category of landscape painting also enjoyed less esteem in Europe than the treatment of religious, historical, or mythological themes or portraiture.”
Mont Sainte-Victoire with Large Pine
Paul Cézanne
1887
Link
Landscapes tend to be more visible in painters works. It begins to be relevant for the artists, but also for the galleries and saloons. Among others reasons – a new ways of spending the labour-free time is a key factor.
Eduardo Manet
Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe
1863
Link
Initially it is common for painters to only create compositional sketches in while out there – they make all the necessary works in the contemplation of studios. Gradually it is more relevant to work in situ, en plein air – as for it allows for a more authentic portraiting of the space and the feeling that is in there, created by light and shadows.
Gustav Klimt – Landscapes, Stephan Koja, Verena Perlhefter p. 21
Les Hasards heureux de l’escarpolette
Jean-Honoré Fragonard
1767
Link
Planty o świcie
Stanisław Wyspiański
1894
Link
It is only thanks to the art of impressionists that it is visible how the landscape can be emotional and relevant. And so, values like precision and fantasy representations of reality or the antique themes are slowly being rejected. To keep it short – there's no more way artists will try to make the depicted reality better than it is.
La Femme à l'ombrelle — Madame Monet et son fils
Claude Monet
1875
Link
Gustav Klimt is born in a small village on the subburbs of Vienna on the 14th of July 1862. The artist that seems to be a exemplary figure in the idea of the world after the first Industrial Revolution. After his final decline of a proposal to work at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, the young painter begins his career to become the most important Austrian painter – and the leading figure in the art nouveau – to become a well respected and considered artist of the modern times.
But first, he creates a scandal with the images created for the University Hall in Vienna.
Gustav Klimt, Luba Ristujczina, p. 14, 34, 38, 179, 42
Gustav Klimt – Landscapes, Stephan Koja, Verena Perlhefter, p. 21
He is learning in the studio of admired master – Hans Makart – one of the leading artistic figure of Austria. Gustav Klimt is working on wall decorations but also graphics and portraitas. He will be indeed known for his portraits – soon he becomes considered as the best paid portraitist of his times. His support was coming form the emerging Jewish intelligentsia, among others. He cocreates a Vienna Secession group which is on it's way to leave the conservative saloons of Austria capital city.
Ornament becomes relevant – not only in the art of painting but also in typography and architecture. Forms that are fluid and floral are the most popular.
It is in fact in the 60s and 70s that the Vienna turistic movement appears – especially with the railroad reaching the Carinthia lake and Salzkammergut mountains.
Since 1846, the former capitol city of Poland is ruled by the austrain partitioner. It is now facing a harsh reality of poor imigrants moving in, galicians among others, who try to find safety and some labour within the city' walls. The artistic life is planting its' seeds in many directions, seeking to protect the existance of Polish identity. Existing under the Austrain partitioner, Polish nation was not strangled yet neither it was unlimited. On 15th of January 1869 Stanisław Wyspiański is born. The child will be considered as the fourth prophet of Polish nation.
Controversial and appreaciated, the young artist is growing up in the city filled up with political tensions – and the urge to keep up the Polish spirit. As a fully developed artist he seeks and creates a new, visionary idea of Arts as well as Polish identity. His visions are based on religious and mythological sources. The art of Stanisław Wyspiański is certainly one of the most important points of the new national art, coherent with alikes in the european culture. Today it is labeled as "Young Poland" – the Polish Art Nouveau.
As a young felllow, he was fascinated by theatre. After school, along with his friends, he recreated scenes from theatre, obviously not forgeting to act like youths. In 1882 he was accused of climbing to the tower and putting in motion the bell of the Zygmunt's tower. Since early childhood, he was thought to draw and paint. He begins to study under the supervision of Jan Matejko – the contemporary dean of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, who is the painter of impressive historical depictions. Jan Matejko takes up this position since 1872.
Young painter dies in age of 38. The prophet's legacy is full of original ideas formed into visual crafts and literature. Paintings, drawings, architecture, stained-glass, furniture, interiors, art conservacy, typography and posters. And there are also his literatures – dramas and poems, translations – all this distinguish him as one of the most unique Polish artists.
In his short life, he travells couple of times to the contemporary center of the artistic and cultural Europe – the Paris. On the ocassion of this visits, he has an opportunity to visit some of the most impressive medieval cathedrals in France, where he studies the art of stained-glass.
Gustav Klimt travels to the italian Ravenna. He admires the richness of byzantine golden mosaics – their simplicity and decorativeness – which later is visible in the art of his own.
Joanna Bojarska-Syrek, Wyspiański: Witraże, p. 5, 6, 7, 12
Both Wyspiański and Klimt remain bounded with the contemporary capitals of their countries – where they become well-known, benefiting from the advantages of being the “Artist” – and even though their financial quality was not to be compared, they both travel – looking for inspiration and well deserved rest.
They seem alike. Yet. their legacy and artistic oeuvre, the ability to create outstanding emotional portraits – as well as unique way in which they percieved reality are in fact coming from a very much different origins.
It is summer 1895, Wyspiański is out of the city, grasping fresh air in the cities nearby Cracow: Bielan, Krzemionek, Przegorzał, Zabierzowa. He collects and sketches flowers, giving them poetic names. In november he will be dreaming of Paris, as Cracow is perhaps not his place. Now, it is time for him to find inspiration outside of the country. Perhaps because life there seems to be more carefree, if compared to the nonexisting Poland.
He wanders the boulevards along the Seine river and pleases his eyes with the sights not available in Poland. For over six year now, Paris has a new symbol – the tower of Gustave Eiffel. Essambled for the Exposition Universelle.
Stanisław Wyspiański. Artysta i wizjoner. Luba Ristujczina, str. 96
Gustav Klimt
1989
Link
The same year Gustav Klimt formulates the ideas of his art – perhaps already aware of the importance and the need of formation of the Viennan Secession group. It will be offically public on the 3rd of April 1897. A poster, created by the artist for the first exhibition of the group is a initially a figure facing emptiness.
[edit: 20.02.2026]
Et in Arcadia Ego – Nicolas Poussin might have been an inspiration for the figure.
The tragic life events as well as a rapid development of his career are not easy to handle. The Austrian painter is not avoiding social life yet he is far from being in the center of the intensive social saloon parties and cafe meetings – and this is where usually the intelectual and artistic personas meet. He is seeking for some space of his own, being rather focused on creating – see speaks with portraits, polichromic paintings and the publishing of the secessian “Ver Sacrum” – “The Sacred Spring”. He finds inspiration in the Roman sculptures and antique art. He developes the secessian motifs along decorative ornaments of ancient greece.
Gustav Klimt, Luba Ristujczina, p. 6, 35, 92, 93, 179
In 1898 he finally grasps a new wave – it becomes accessible to travel out of the city. He will now spend much more of his summer time among friends outside of Vienna. His focus is now on his personal, uncommisioned paintings. Health and physical conditions are very relevant for him. He was fascinated by water sports – sailing and rowing. He will be perhaps a first owner of a motorboat.
By Attersee it is calm and silent. Today, the lake is one of the main leisure spots in Austria. Klimt studies nature – trees, fields of flowers – as well as he takes care of his own garden. It is commonly portraited by him.
The images created in that period are the greatest proof for his outstanding skills – strong compositions with intensive colours and depth. He also sketches and paint a castle and buildings visible on the other side of the lake. Along with friends, he spents much time on a boat.
It is quite common that they have binoculars.
Wikipedia Link
The paintings are striking with the richness of colours and their graphic-like value. A certain type of simplification. The colours are not limited by sharp edges. The depth is achieved only with a delicay of tonal, subtle differences that formulates the planes.
The artist studies water and the reflection that appear on it's surface – perhaps in a symbolic way depicting inner calmness as well as a visible harmony of the place. The paintings influance the viewer with the quality of colour but also the rhythm. It is visible, that the artist is not interested in capturing the impressionistic elusivness of light or the feeling of a certain moment of the day. The images are captured in a timeless form. It is not in a certain moment, but in the beauty of a frame, creating a fullness of vision. The images are simplified and do not depict the contrast of light and shadow.
It seems that Gustav Klimt is not focues on the symbolic, mystical value of the landscapes, which seems so relevant in his ornamental work in the portraits compositions. Each touch of the brush seems to be balanced and calm. Perhaps indeed he seeks for some getaway.
I would argue that the very opposite of that is visible in the artworks by Stanisław Wyspiański, who depicts huts with tension and heat. The compositions are symbolic and every color matters. The art of Poland is using different symbols, compared to Austrian accademism.
It is summer 1900 – residenting in the village of his wife Teodora, Konary near Tarnowiec, Stanisław creates a series of pastel. The lines of huts' roofs, fences, windows and other elements seems to be unified with nature. Perhaps only the color indicates what are the boundries of man-made objects and nature. Althought the colours are in calm tones, the line seems to shiver.
Stanisław Wyspiański. Artysta i wizjoner. Luba Ristujczina. str 136, 141
Zagroda w Konarach
Stanisław Wyspiański
1900
Link
Couple of month later the artist hits a theatre. Wesele, a drama play premieres. And it is not taken lightly.
Artist, misunderstood and somewhat rejected, bounces back to the safety of the household, where he focuses on time with his family – constantly working.
It is not too long until a bounce off – the stained-glass images that he creates are instantly recieved as masterpieces.
fot. mat. Teatru im. Słowackiego
The original poster for the drama play
Link
Planty o świcie
Stanisław Wyspiański
1894
Link
The biographies of both artists indicates how importat it was for them to travel, yet for a very different reasons. Gustav Klimt seeks for recreation, healing his mind, body and soul in nature. He is pleased to be surrounded by silence of the greenfields. Daily rhythm is important, he spends a lot of time focusing on phycial activities, not omiting his friends. The off-the-city time allows him to distance from the allegories and symbolism of his commercial work – so often based on the antique motifs but also relevant for the contemporary social tensions. Stanisław Wyspiański, seens as the creator who is very fragile regarding the beauty of nature and, perhaps, life – finds his own way in life off the main city square, after the scandal and unability to move to Paris. He is full of tensions and contradictions. He is often misunderstood and considered hostile.
My final argument here is that those two were very much similar – yet their surroundings and, most importantly, the political situation of their countries were very much different. They seem to be a kind of a mirror for their countries.
Gustav Klimt dies in 1918.
Stanisław Wyspiański dies in 1907.
At the beginning of the XX century, union and later government workers in Austria recieve a benefit of vacation, which allows them to enjoy the newely developed railroads. The conditions begin to improve.
In 1918 Poland becomes an independent country and along formulating of the new goverment and new constitution, women recieve the rights to vote. The polish nation is now facing a lot of challenges.
In Austria, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy declines. It is the end of Habsburg's rule.
Gustav Klimt and Stanisław Wyspiański are still relevant and quite often surpirse the viewer with the originality and richness of their ouvre – and in my humble opinion they both represent the hights of the european art, which are not yet marked with the tragedies of the World Wars.
The beauty of art is that it is perceived individually.
Do not believe me – see for yourself.
Perhaps it is only a decent selection of the examples. A bias.
Polish artist worked in the reality of the partition – in the world of dependence, inner symbols and hope. He was torned by the Polish spirit and a need to move out, create and work in the country he percieved as free. The Viennian artist, revolutionary in many conditions was in the context of a well developed and understood discipline. Any comparisons and observations are presented here only for education.
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© Maciej Piotr Połczyński. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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© Maciej Piotr Połczyński.
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
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