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 depicts two people in traditional peasant or townspeople's clothing. The figures are shown full-length, facing forward, in a calm, static pose. On the left, we see a child or teenager, and on the right, a taller adult. Both are dressed in long coats (kaftans) with buttons, tall hats, and boots. The man is girded with a broad, probably leather belt, leaning on a stick with his right hand, while the boy's clothes are tied with a thin rope-like belt. The adult is looking straight ahead, his left hand tucked into the opening of his kaftan between the buttons, the collar and edges of which are decorated with tassels. The teenager is slightly turned towards him, looking up, as if addressing him or waiting attentively. Their faces are rendered schematically, with little detail, yet with an expression of friendliness and simplicity. The background is not drawn in detail, but vegetation is defined by contours, represented as trees or bushes. The figures are standing on the ground, probably on a village or country road. The image has a calm, harmonious character. The lines are clear, the detail is moderate, and we can see the clothing's folds and the facial features. 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 clothing, 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