Boznańska. Up Close

The National Museum in Krakow is planning an exhibition dedicated to Olga Boznańska, presenting her not only as an outstanding painter but also weaving a narrative about her life and daily existence.

Krakow, her family home, held immense significance for Olga Boznańska, who was educated in Munich and built her artistic career in Paris. Throughout her life, she returned here with joy, yet simultaneously departed with a sense of relief. It was to Krakow, and specifically to the National Museum, that a large portion of the legacy from her Parisian studio was entrusted. Therefore, we feel a responsibility to revisit Boznańska's life and artistic journey. We aim to refresh public familiarity with her work, showcasing both well-known pieces and those that have never been exhibited, or not seen for nearly sixty years. This includes paintings, as well as a rich collection of sketches, sketchbooks, and early works from her youth and childhood, illustrating Boznańska's artistic development.

The exhibition will feature over sixty paintings—primarily the portraits she’s known for, but also still lifes and landscapes—along with a similar number of drawings, sketches, sketchbooks, and completely unknown and surprising childhood works. The exhibition will be complemented by personal mementos from Boznańska's daily life—objects she surrounded herself with: books, mirrors, small purses, trinkets, figurines, playing cards, and even clothing, including everyday attire and the apron she used for painting. For the first time, family documents and a selection of letters, including those from Józef Czajkowski, an important figure in her life, will also be presented.

We want our exhibition to be not just a story about Boznańska—the artist, but also about Boznańska—the woman. We encourage you to come to our Museum not just "to see Boznańska," but "to visit Boznańska"—to see and contemplate her work, and to get to know her everyday life.

Curator: Urszula Kozakowska-Zaucha
Coordinator: Katarzyna Myszor
Interior designer: Marta Staszków