Jerzy Rupniewski (1888-1950) - Malarstwo, które jest mi wszystkim na świecie...

Abstrakt

Jerzy Rupniewski, during the entire twenty-year interwar period, was a very active co-founder of the Bydgoszcz arts community and its activities. He was a very prolific painter and exhibitor. His artistic legacy, in comparison with other Bydgoszcz artists who worked in the interwar period, is rather well preserved. However, is it representative of his oeuvre?

The article describes the artistic activity of Rupniewski based on the preserved groups of his paintings, drawings as well as exhibitions, in which he participated in Bydgoszcz and other art centers, particularly in Zachęta Art Gallery in Warsaw. An analysis of his paintings, both preserved and those known from sources and exhibition catalogs, allowed for deeper interpretation of his work and verification of previous assessments. Series of artworks presented during group and solo exhibitions revealed the artist’s interest in several topics, to which he remained faithful throughout his artistic career. The most interesting thematic group is architectural views of various cities, usually with historic buildings, including views of Bydgoszcz and Pomeranian towns. Equally important for him was marine art, portrayed in a wide-ranging scope: seaside views, depicting the sea and villages located on the coast, port scenes, presentations of ships and vessels, and clear portraits of people of the sea - sailors and fishermen. The underestimated topic in Rupniewski’s artistic activity is presentation of interiors, from stately castle chambers to sacred interiors, through rooms of landowners and burghers, all the way to the simple cottages of fishermen. An extensive thematic group among his paintings is portraits, where we can distinguish two specific groups, commissioned official portraits and images of specific “types of people,” frequently depicted during work. A small group of preserved and those known only from titles landscapes, genre scenes, flowers and still life confirm that these topics were less frequently chosen by the artist.