The Gallery of Polish Painting spanning the period from 1800 to 1945 is based on the pre-war collections of the Silesian Museum that had been assembled over the years 1927-1939 by the former director Tadeusz Dobrowolski, Ph.D. The paintings were acquired in antique shops in Cracow, Warsaw, Lvov, at national fairs, from private owners and directly from the artists as well as at international galleries – in Paris and Vienna. At first the collection was temporarily stored in the premises of the Provincial Council and was waiting to be moved to a new building in 1940. However, those plans were thwarted by the outbreak of World War II. The museum, one of the most modern ones in Europe, a symbol of Polish culture in Silesia, was totally demolished and taken apart. In consequence, a large body of the collection was moved to Landesmuseum in Bytom. Because of lax security, 100 out of 280 items gathered before the war were lost. Therefore, the Silesian Museum in Katowice ceased to exist.

After the war, the collection, though still remaining in Bytom, was already under the administration of the Silesian Museum and hence well taken care of. In 1950, the Silesian Museum in Bytom changed its name into the Upper-Silesian Museum. In 1984, when our museum resumed its activity, the pre-war collection of paintings returned to Katowice after nearly 50 years. Between 1985 and 2009, many valuable acquisitions were made, thus enriching the collection with significant works by renowned Polish artists.

The collection of Gallery of Painting reflects the most important phenomena and trends in Polish art beginning with Classicism, Realism, through Romanticism, the Young Poland, Symbolism, Secession, and Impressionism and to the art of the inter-war period.

The dominant feature of the gallery is portrait painting. The painters were fond of depicting historical figures, famous people, artists, family members, and children, as well as painting collective pictures and self-portraits. There are also numerous landscapes as well as genre, symbolic and allegorical scenes along with examples of house interiors and still life.

The gallery abounds in true masterpieces of Polish art and include such works as: ‘The Blue Boy’ and ‘Horsewoman’ by Peter Michałowski, portraits by Henryk Rakowski i Jan Matejko, works by Józef Chełmoński and the famous ‘Jewess with Lemons’ by Aleksander Gierymski, ‘Sulamith Woman’ by Maurycy Gottlieb and ‘Summer’ by Aleksander Kotsis as well as works representing the Young Poland: Stanisław Wyspiański, Józef Mehoffer, the Symbolist Jacek Malczewski, Leon Wyczółkowski and other Impressionists including Józef Pankiewicz, Władysław Podkowiński, landscapes by Jan Stanisławski and portraits by Olga Boznańska.

Although it suffered serious losses during the war, the collection remains one of the most outstanding, recognized and well respected ones in Poland. It comprises works of the highest artistic value, whose reproductions can be found in numerous albums, textbooks and catalogues of exhibitions taking place all over the country and abroad.

Exhibition Curator : Katarzyna Jarmuł