WYSPIAŃSKI’S CURTAIN

The competition for the creation of a curtain for the Municipal Theatre (today's Słowacki Theatre) in Krakow was announced in 1892. One of the entries was submitted by Stanisław Wyspiański, perhaps the greatest Krakow artist – a visionary, a man devoted to theatre, his city and the Polish cause.

He designed a magnificent piece (which survived to this day only in the form of a small coloured design/sketch) that metaphorically depicts his vision of theatre. Theatre as a place that is dynamic and multilayered, and that reveals the spiritual dimension of our reality. It was a project of great scope, visually remarkable, multifaceted and incredibly bold. However, it did not meet with the jury’s approval. The task of painting the curtain was entrusted to Henryk Siemiradzki, who created a beautiful work, important for Polish culture, but also much more traditional and safe.

We are proud that we have begun works (in cooperation with a group of experts – artists and art historians) aimed at reconstructing and painting the curtain according to Wyspiański's design. And that after 126 years – as a finished work – it will be hung in its rightful place.