Description:
Stanisław Fabijański (1865-1947) studied in Lviv, Krakow and Munich. After his studies, he settled permanently in Krakow, which became his favorite subject of work. He most often painted famous, important historical places, although he tried to show them from new, interesting perspectives. He especially often depicted Wawel. He was also involved in sculpture, graphics, stained glass design, posters and magazine illustrations.

Description of the painting:
The rising fog from the Vistula River envelopes the mysterious glow of the Norbertine Monastery, against which the city of Krakow awakens with the red halo of the rising sun on Wawel Hill. The gentle surface of the river reflects the blurred shape of the monastery and the fire lit at its foot.

This neatly composed image depicts a popular view of Krakow. Its originality lies in capturing the fleeting moment just after sunrise, when indistinct shapes slowly emerge from the darkness and the sleeping city seems to be unreal, intangible, too tranquil. The foreground bank appears to be the perfect place for contemplation, calming down and watching the colorful show in the sky. The moment of sunrise is often the last moment of stopping, grasping the peaceful moment before the busy day starts.

Stanisław Fabijański was an admirer of Krakow. Although born in Paris, he permanently settled in Krakow at the age of 25, since then the city on the Vistula has been the main subject of his works. He most often painted its important, historical and landmark buildings. He looked for interesting shots and presented known places from a new perspective. He often painted a small section of the building or chose an unusual time of year or day, hence a lot of nocturnes in his work. He left many works that very accurately, almost photographically depict the real look of the historical buildings. He also painted mystical, almost dark views, shrouded in fog and mystery. As one of Matejko‘s students, he also painted historical scenes, although in a more genre way.

Rogalinski‘s painting is one of a series of twelve watercolors depicting Krakow, painted in 1905 and purchased from the artist by Edward Alexander in 1907. Surely the collector was delighted by the painter‘s sensitivity to the beauty of Krakow, where Edward Alexander spent much of the year. To this day, one more watercolor from this Rogalinski‘s series depicting a snow–covered fragment of the Wawel walls remains in the collection.