Author: Adam Roman (1916, Kraśnik Lubelski – 2013, Warsaw)
Granite
Signed on the left side: A. ROMAN | R.1999
Bust anchored on rectangular red granite slab signed: JÓZEF CHEŁMOŃSKI placed on a multiplanar pedestal
Property of the Dom Pracy Twórczej in Radziejowice, inv. no. 135
purchased from the artist (1999)
Monument ordered under the inspiration of Jerzy Waldorff by the management of the DPT in Radziejowice to celebrate the 150th birth and 85th death anniversary of Józef Chełmoński.
Unveiled: 28 August 1999 after the ceremonial evening with a concert
The characteristic portrait, familiar to the painting enthusiasts from self-portraits and photographs, depicts Józef Chełmoński (1849-1914), one of the greatest Polish painters, the artist of realistic, temperamental compositions of rushing horse-drawn carriages and unforgettable scenes of the folk’s life, living in hometown Mazovia or far Ukraine; additionally a master of a subtle mood in symbolic landscapes, either pure or animated by the presence of animals or birds painted in the nearby Kuklówka, where the artist spent his last 25 years of life. What is more, Chełmoński was a close friend of Krasiński family, hence he was a frequent guest in Radziejowice.
The monumental bust shown frontally, carved in polished granite, depicts cut at shoulders, dignified torso of an earnest man. Characteristic head is slightly tilted to the front, framed by a thick sweptback hair unmanageably falling on the forehead. Heavy facial hair – with a moustache and sideburns blending into the long and thick beard, covering the neck and resting gently on the torso – softens the thoughtful expression and at the same time adds years to the face of the sitter. Exceptionally arresting are the “blank” eyes (with no indicated pupils), chiselled like ancient statues, the long and striking straight nose, and flat cheekbones marked with light, shallow chisel strokes. A certain slenderness is imparted to the silhouette by the softly modelled lapels of the jacket, slanting diagonally downward, and by the master’s favourite necktie visible in their opening.
Text: Elżbieta Charazińska
Editing: Beata Fiugajska
Photo: Piotr Ligier