Poland’s nationally-renowned composer Fryderyk [Frédéric] Chopin was prompted to leave his homeland and ultimately spend the rest of his life in Paris upon receiving news of the November Uprising of 1830 in Warsaw and its failure of 1831. In 1795, partitioned and occupied by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, Poland as a nation disappeared from the world map. From then on, uprisings and revolts seeking national independence were repeatedly attempted, but this was not realized until the end of the First World War in 1918. During those 123 years, the people who had lost their country turned to literature, music, and visual arts, as well as broadly defined cultural elements of language and religion, as a source of identity. The old capital city of Kraków played a significant role as a cultural centre during this period.

In the latter half of the 19th century, Jan Matejko gained fame by depicting Poland’s history and cultural narratives on a grand scale. Numerous young artists emerged from his tutelage at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts. These artists, while yearning for the independence of their homeland, intertwined their personal feelings with this desire, creating unique artistic expressions rich in symbolism and tonality across a wide range of fields, including not only painting but also applied arts and literature. Known as the “Young Poland” movement, these artists avidly absorbed Impressionism and other new artistic trends from the West, and referenced Japanese art, particularly ukiyo-e prints, while rediscovering and reinterpreting what remained of local traditional culture to explore their definition of the national art of Poland. This exhibition is the first comprehensive introduction in Japan of the art created by the “Young Poland” movement, preceded by the influential work of Jan Matejko.

This exhibition is held with the full cooperation of the National Museum in Kraków and is supported by a grant from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland. It features some 130 pieces, including numerous representative paintings, prints, furniture, and textiles by Matejko and the “Young Poland” movement, gathered from several national museums, including those in Kraków and Warsaw, and many private collections. Visitors will be able to see the essence of Polish art that blossomed at the turn of the last century.