Genius of the Baroque. Szymon Czechowicz (1689-1775)

Rome was the cradle of the Baroque. Artists flocked from all over Europe to hone their skills at the acclaimed Accademia di San Luca, and one of the few Polish painters to have found their way there was Szymon Czechowicz. Born to a Cracovian family of goldsmiths, he travelled to the Eternal City around 1710 and spent the following twenty years learning the secrets of the style, perfecting his ability to compose expansive, effective scenes in which the earthly and celestial spheres intertwine. Czechowicz remained faithful to features of late Roman Baroque such as monumentalism, refined colour palettes and ephemeral sensitivity after his return to Poland. He was commissioned by monasteries, magnates and bishops to create paintings for churches throughout the country. The exhibition at the Main Building of the National Museum in Krakow presents almost 200 items loaned by museums and churches in Poland, France, Lithuania, the US, Ukraine and Italy. Many are going on display for the first time, and they all come together to showcase the extraordinary talent of the greatest master of the Baroque in our region. (Dorota Dziunikowska, “Karnet” monthly)