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 composition depicts two people who, by their clothing, appear to be townspeople. On the left stands a man in a long cloak with a hood, a wide collar, and a tall top hat. He is holding a cane in his right hand and looking back, possibly towards the viewer. On the right sits a woman in traditional folk dress: a dress with an apron, a cap or bonnet, and light shoes. She is holding a woven basket and looks calm, with a slight smile. The lines are clear, the detail is moderate: the folds of clothing, facial features, and the texture of the basket are visible. The image has a calm, harmonious character. The backdrop is minimalist – a few plants, a fence, and rural buildings in the background. The image provides insight into the folk clothing, way of life, and social roles of people from a particular era. Since the drawing accurately reflects and conveys the details and features of the folk clothing of a particular region, it has significant ethnographic and historical-cultural value. Its artistic significance lies in the accurate and detailed reproduction of folk dress, making it an important source for research and study of traditional culture. From an aesthetic point of view, we are dealing with a realistic drawing that places special emphasis on the documentary nature of the work.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery