A triptych typically consists of three panels, but only the two side panels of this work have survived. Both are vertically oriented. Each features a winged figure carrying a young boy. The scenes are set in open landscapes. The left panel depicts a bright, sunny day with a light, clear colour palette. The right panel occurs at sunset or just before dawn, with subdued tones.

The left panel shows a slender young man standing frontally, centered in the composition, his figure nearly filling the canvas. He has shoulder-length, dark brown hair. His head is turned slightly to the left. He has a narrow face, pale rosy complexion, light eyes looking left, and straight light brown eyebrows. His nose is long and slim, and his lips are thin and closed. His torso is bare. A pair of butterfly-like wings emerges from his back. The wings, oval in shape and pointing upward, are almost transparent with red outlines. On either side of his body hang two vertical black panels with white circles running down their length, ending in a point at calf level. He wears a red skirt starting at the waist and reaching mid-thigh. The skirt consists of three vertical sections joined by metal rings, with the side panels ending in red fringes. His legs and feet are bare.

The man holds a naked boy horizontally in his arms. The boy faces away from the viewer. The man supports him under the thighs and at the neck. The boy has thick brown hair, a slender frame, and pale skin. Only his left arm is visible, resting along his side. His legs are bent at the knees.

The figures stand on a grassy plain. In the background are fields and, to the right, a lone tree. The sky is bright and cloudless.

In the right panel, a man carries a youth on his back. He faces the viewer but is bent forward. His thick dark hair is topped with two sharp brown horns with black stripes. Due to his posture, only a portion of his face—from the eye sockets to the tip of the nose—is visible. He wears black metallic shoulder guards outlined in gold and a long-sleeved black garment reaching his thighs. His elbows are bent, and he raises his arms to chest height, gripping a thick rope in both hands. His knees and feet are bare, and he wears black shin guards.

He has a pair of large butterfly-like wings, extended and reaching beyond the edges of the painting. The wings are dark, decorated with blue circles outlined in red. A long, sheer black veil drapes over them, billowing toward the right side of the canvas.

The young man carried on his back rests his left cheek on the man's neck. He has short dark hair, closed eyes and mouth, and a slim, straight nose. His back is bare. His right arm hangs loosely over the man's right shoulder. His bare feet dangle from the left side of the man’s body.

This scene unfolds on a grassy field at sunset or just before sunrise. The sky near the horizon is orange, with soft clouds.

The original triptych depicted three independent scenes, but only the two side panels remain. The central one—the largest—showed two nude figures standing apart on opposite sides, now known only from an unclear press reproduction.

The left panel presents a bright angel with butterfly wings, symbolising transformation and fragility, referencing the butterfly as a sign of the soul’s immortality. The scene represents birth or spiritual awakening.

The right panel features an angel whose attire evokes Japanese warrior armour. The winged figure, shrouded in a flowing black veil, resembles a death angel or psychopomp—an escort of souls. This image symbolises life’s end, associated with death, sorrow, and parting, yet also a gesture of care in gently guiding one across the boundary of life.

Source: Text by Irena Buchenfeld on the triptych To a New Life
Audio description: Emilia Szymańska
Consultation: Adrian Wyka
Content consultation: Irena Buchenfeld