In Front of the Inn Józef Chełmoński

In contrast to the Krakow school, which shaped the foundations of the historical painting associated with the name of Jan Matejko that perpetuated the romantic tradition, the Warsaw school that influenced Józef Chełmoński introduced a realist turn to Polish painting. Chełmoński, who was also referred to as a patriotic painter, initially wavered between the influence of the academy and rural genre painting, but owing to the Polish artists he met while studying in Munich, he eventually opted for the latter path. His scenes, inspired by the lives of Polish peasants, were popular among British and American collectors.
He often set his scenes against a backdrop of snow-covered landscapes, achieving his intended dramatic effect by exploiting the contrast between the white and dark colours. The endless, winter steppe likewise stretches into the distance in the painting In Front of the Inn, while in the foreground, the Cossacks escorting the group of men and women to their new homes rest at the inn. The settling of Russian speakers in territories with a Polish majority population was a frequent occurrence in provinces under Russian rule in the nineteenth century.

Bianka Izsák-Boda