Collection of Ethnographic Drawings

Kajetan Wincenty Kielisiński created numerous etchings and drawings devoted to folklore, life in Polish villages and towns, historical monuments, and landscapes. He was one of the first to develop bookplates in Poland. During his travels to various locations, he collected graphic materials for the publications "Polish Antiquities" and "Folk Costumes". In 1855, Poznań publisher Jan Konstanty Żupanski published "Kielisiński's Album", which collected the artist's scattered works. Kielisiński's graphic works, drawings, sketchbooks, and correspondence were kept in the Kórnik Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences, as well as in national museums (Kraków, Poznań, Warsaw) and renowned libraries (Jagiellonian University, Ossolineum, Warsaw University). The picture shows a young woman in traditional peasant clothing. Her long hair is held in place by an exquisitely decorated ochipok. The woman is standing in front of a wall, apparently that of a peasant log house, with a wooden fence and plants visible in the distance. Her facial features and expression are restrained, without any pronounced emotions, and the overall impression is one of restrained positivity. In her lowered left hand, she holds a headscarf, while her right arm is bent at the elbow, raised and lightly touching her chest. Her head is turned to the right, so that her face is visible in profile, and her gaze is directed straight ahead and into the distance, giving the image a certain romantic meaning. It can be assumed that the woman depicted is frozen in a moment of anticipation or memory. The image has a calm, harmonious character. The lines are clear, the detail is moderate; we can see the folds of the clothing and the features of the face. The drawing's background is minimalist. The graphic drawing has undeniable historical and cultural value, as it is a precise and careful reproduction of folk clothing. Since the drawing accurately reflects and conveys the details and features of the folk clothing of a particular region, it has a pronounced ethnographic, historical, and cultural value. Its artistic significance lies in the accurate and detailed reproduction of folk costumes, making it a valuable source for research and study of traditional culture. From an aesthetic point of view, we are dealing with a realistic drawing, with a special emphasis on its documentary nature.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery