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 "The 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 two young men standing next to each other in full-length, talking. Both are dressed in traditional 19th-century peasant or townspeople's clothing. The composition is shown from two different angles: on the left, the figure is partially turned towards the viewer, while on the right, the figure has his back to the viewer. They are depicted against a background resembling a suburban landscape with hills, city walls, and buildings in the distance. The men are dressed in long cloaks or caftans, with very tall, straight-topped fur hats on their heads. Their trousers are practically invisible under the long hemline, but it is clear that they are narrow and tucked into their shoes. They are wearing tall, narrow boots with a belt over their outer clothing. The figures are shown in poses and with gestures that are somewhat mirrored. The young man on the right holds his right arm bent at the elbow above his waist with his index finger pointing to the side, while his other arm is lowered. The other man makes the same gesture, but his arm is raised to chest height. It seems they are pointing in the same direction or actively gesturing. The man on the left's expression is open and calm, perhaps slightly smiling, his gaze directed at his interlocutor. The drawing is done in pencil using graphic techniques. The manner of depiction is quite detailed, with the author conveying the small details of the folk costume and the folds of the 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