Józef Chełmoński (1849–1914)
Four-in-Hand, 1881
Purchased in 1899
imnk
miniaturka

material: oil on canvas

dimensions: 275 × 660 cm

description: "Four-in-hand" marks the pinnacle of Polish naturalism. The painting represents a cart drawn by four horses driven by a Ukrainian peasant, which seems to be speeding straight towards the viewer. The natural-sized animals in a crazy gallop appear to be bursting out of the frames, creating an illusion of constant and unstoppable movement. This impression is even stronger when the main figures are contrasted with the static, monotonous background. The artist also skilfully rendered the peasant’s fiery temperament and the fanciful nature of nobles from the Polish eastern borderland. The painting was created during Chełmoński’s stay in Paris, where he worked solely on Polish themes, inspired by his passion for Ukraine and the question of movement in painting. The motif of the galloping horses heading straight towards the viewer is a direct transposition from a work by Chełmoński’s Professor at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, Aleksander (Sándor) Wagner.
Wacława Milewska


exposition: The Gallery of 19th Century Polish Art in Sukiennice,
The Cloth Hall, 1, Main Market Square


key: Realism, polish impressionism, beginnings of symbolism >>>

© 2010 National Museum in Krakow
design & concept: creator.pl
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