Początki awangardy w meblarstwie polskim 1904-1914

Abstract

The beginning of the avant-garde in Polish furniture designing of 1904-1914

The occurence of innovatory forms in Polish furniture designing, not well recognized nor examined so far, one may notice as early as in the decade preceding the 1st World War. The forerunner of designing furniture breaking with the secession style was the remarkable and many-sided artist, Stanisław Wyspiański (1869-1907). His designs of the 1904-1905 for interiors of Cracow (design of the exhibition hall of “Sztuka”, furniture for the apartment of popular journalist Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński, furnishings of Dom Lekarski and Izba Przemysłowo-Handlowa)', show the greatest resemblance to the vanguard furniture design of the times from „Wiener Werksitte” (Josef Hoffman, Koloman Moser, Otto Wagner) and “Deutsche Werkbund” (Peter Behrens, Richard Riemerschmidt) circles. The “lesson of avant-garde” by Wyspiański soon influenced on the members of “Towarzystwo Polska Sztuka Stosowana” and “Warsztaty Krakowskie” - societies popularizing renascence and modernizing Polish craftmanship - Wojciech Jastrzębowski, Józef Czajkowski, Karol Maszkowski and first of all - Karol Tichy. Polish artists designing furniture of early Art Deco style deserve to have their works included in the achievements of European avant-garde of the beginning of XX century. Translated by Aleksandra Salwin