Tadeusz Tuszewski (1907–2004) – przedwojenny debiutant w powojennej rzeczywistości

Abstract

Tadeusz Tuszewski (1907–2004) – a pre-war debutant in the post-war reality (Summary)

The article discusses the hitherto unexplored graphic art of Tadeusz Tuszewski – an artist known for his activities as a conservator of paper after World War II and his work in the field of lettering and bookplates. As a result of query, nearly 100 graphic compositions, mostly woodcuts by Tuszewski were found in Polish art collections. The majority of them are student works and prints from before 1939. Tuszewski received solid graphic education in pre-war Poland, which resulted in his excellent technical skills. He graduated State School of Decorative Arts and Art Industry in Poznań (1931) and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (1936). He was a student of Jan Wroniecki (1980–1948), Władysław Skoczylas (1883–1934), Leon Wyczółkowski (1852–1936) and the most important for his artistic formation – Edmund Bartłomiejczyk (1885–1950). The woodcuts created by Tuszewski before World War II – still-life paintings and landscapes from Bulgaria – attracted public interest and won critical favor. His post-war graphic compositions maintained the same high technical level and were kept in a similar, realistic style. Although there were not many of them, the artist made sure to present them to the public at domestic and foreign exhibitions from the 1940s to the 1960s. World War II left an enormous gap in the circle of graphic artists in Warsaw: many of them died or emigrated, others lost all their achievements and abandoned graphic work. Tuszewski did not give up creating woodcuts, however he devoted much more time to conservation and teaching activities. He continued to create realistic rural landscapes and still-lifes, introducing color printing, which can be seen in works such as: For a Conditioning Camp, From My Window, Landscape with Cows, Miastko – harvest or Miastko at dusk. For some, the realism and themes of Tuszewski’s woodcuts may be synonymous with the assumptions of socialist realism. In fact, they are a continuation of the tradition of Warsaw woodcuts from the best years of its development in the interwar period.