The „Chełmoński” project

The „Chełmoński” project is a yearslong project set up by Ewa Micke-Broniarek and Agnieszka Lajus of the National Museum in Warsaw, Maria Gołąb of the National Museum in Poznań, and Aleksandra Krypczyk-de Barra of the National Museum in Kraków. It was launched in 2022, when the curators’ team was joined by: Wojciech Głowacki, Arkadiusz Krawczyk, and Małgorzata Hejmer. Together, they have done a tremendous job. The exhibition which crowned the project was preceded by a thorough study on the oeuvre of one of the most important Polish painters of the second half of the 19th century, a search for the artist’s lost works, and comprehensive conservation research conducted by Chief Conservators from all the museums involved: Anna Mistewicz, Agnieszka Kunicka-Goldfinger, and Elżbieta Zygier. Importantly, all the paintings from the Poznań museum (and only some from Warsaw and Kraków) have been examined in terms of painting technology. This made it possible to describe the characteristics of the artist’s drawing and support as well as to characterise the technique and colour palette used. Never before has such an extensive conservation study of Józef Chełmoński’s works been carried out. The paintings have also been restored, and many of them – including „Plow” („Orka”) and „Summer Night – the Memory of Ukraine” („Wieczór letni – wspomnienie Ukrainy”) – received new frames.

The catalogue „Józef Chełmoński 1849-1914”

The completion of the „Chełmoński” project has resulted in the creation of not only the monographic exhibition of Józef Chełmoński’s works, but also a catalogue. It is a monumental publication capturing his oeuvre in broad contexts: from an overview on individual creative stages to selected problem and conservation issues.

The first volume is comprised of essays on Józef Chełmoński’s works, and the second one – of a catalogue of all his oil paintings and relevant studies, produced by researchers from the National Museum in Warsaw: Ewa Micke-Broniarek, Wojciech Głowacki, and Małgorzata Hejmer, in consultation with the independent researcher Tadeusz Matuszczak.

The publication is available in two languages: Polish and English. It can be purchased in the museum shop.

_{„Józef Chełmoński 1849-1914”, edited by E. Micke-Broniarek, W. Głowacki, vol. I, vol. II, Warsaw 2024.}