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 man in warm winter clothes. He is wearing a long, warm coat or a light sheepskin coat with fur inserts on the lapels. A wide towel is draped over his shoulder, and in his left hand he holds a long stick or pole resting on his shoulder with a flag, ribbons, and a twig (possibly viburnum or periwinkle) – the attributes of a kolyadnyk (Christmas caroler) or a shchedruvalnyk (New Year’s caroler). The figure is depicted in a village courtyard, with the corner of a wooden building resembling a peasant's farmstead visible in the background, along with trees and bushes. The scene probably symbolises folk Christmas traditions, in particular carol singing. The man with the flag serves as the leader of the carollers or as a symbolic figure in a ritual drama. The graphic is executed with clear, thin lines, with attention to detail in the clothing, but without excessive artistic realism. The image has ethnographic and festive-ritual value. It conveys the atmosphere of winter holidays in the village – with warmth and attention to folk costumes and traditions. Its artistic significance lies in the accurate and detailed reproduction of folk attire, 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