bust of Jacek Malczewski

Technique: cast, bronze

Dimensions: 70 cm x 70 cm x 40 cm, Pedestal: 140 cm x 46 cm x 44 cm

Object:

Bust of the Polish painter Jacek Malczewski, made in bronze, by Tomasz Radziewicz, is an example of a classic sculptural portrait depiction, with fragments deviating, however, from a conventional figurative monument. The sculpture presents the artist at the age of approximately sixty. The image of Jacek Malczewski was undoubtedly inspired by numerous painted self-portraits, which constitute an important part of the artist’s oeuvre. The three-dimensional representation of Malczewski is captured en trois quarts, with his head slightly raised. The face is long and slender, with a clearly emphasised high forehead, raised eyebrows, deep-set eyes and a lower jaw with a visibly accentuated bushy moustache and a pointed chin. Contrary to the realistic depiction of Malczewski, the sculpture’s lower parts – the neck and shoulders – were considered in an abstract manner. The form consists of interconnected irregular fragments forming an oval shell on the front, reminiscent of futuristic armour. In its rear part, the sculpture is empty, showing the structure of the bronze casting. The bust is installed on a rectangular pedestal made of rough granite, whose light grey colour contrasts strongly with the portrait of the Polish painter cast in dark bronze.

Location:

The sculpture is located centrally in the Jacek Malczewski recreational square, at the intersection of Jacka Malczewskiego and Kościelna in the Siedlce district. The plaque on the back of the monument provides information about the initiators, patrons and the author of the bust: “The Jacek Malczewski square was created based on the initiative and efforts of Edward Grzegorz Ostrowski/ with the financial support of Oświata-Lingwista Nadbałtyckie Centrum Edukacji sp. z o.o. Handed over to the city of Gdańsk on the 160^th anniversary of the patron’s birth/ PRO PUBLICO BONO on 14 July 2014/ Author of the bust Tomasz Radziewicz/ Author of the stone forms Alfons Łosowski”.

About the author:

Tomasz Radziewicz (born 1974 in Bartoszyce) is a graduate of the State Secondary School of Arts in Olsztyn. He studied art at the Faculty of Sculpture of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, in the studio of prof. Stanisław Radwański. Tomasz Radziewicz authored many outdoor monuments and sculptures, including : the monument of John Paul II in Przemyśl (2007), the Remus monument in Kościerzyna, the Kazimierz Deyna monument in Warsaw (2012), the Neptune fountain in the Tenement Building Quarter courtyard in Gdańsk (2012).

Condition of the object: good

Owner/guardian: Gdańsk Road and Greenery Authority

Author of the entry: Andrzej Zagrobelny