Anna Filipowicz Mrożewski known and unknown
	The National Library of Poland
	This article was translated thanks to the grant received from the Open Society Institute

In the 1930s, he was as popular as Stryjeńska or Skoczylas. To this day, his Advent Morning Mass^[1] hangs in many Polish homes. His works embellish European and American museum collections. Nonetheless, to this day, there has been no comprehensive critical analysis of Stefan Mrożewski's work and the only monographic exhibition in Poland was held in 1992, in the Kielce National Museum.

Stefan Mrożewski is considered one of the students of Wladyslaw Skoczylas, "the father of Polish wood-cut." Even though he studied in art schools in Łódź, Poznań and Cracow before making it to the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, it was in the art studio of Skoczylas that Mrożewski acquired a thorough knowledge of wood-engraving technique, which took him to a mastery level. However, Mrożewski - the student, and Skoczylas - the master, differed from each other very much. In his recollection of Stefan Mrożewski, Jerzy Szeptycki wrote:

[...] Skoczylas himself thought that Mrożewski didn't learn much from him. That was not right because Mrożewski owed a lot to him, but the fact is that they existed on completely different levels of artistic expression. Although the creative vision of Skoczylas was rooted in Highlander legends and folktales, the form of his wood-cuts had a plain "folkish" style. Some time ago, Tadeusz Cieślewski-Syn wrote that the difference between Skoczylas and a folk artist is the same as between Kasprowicz's "Księga Ubogich" and folk songs. However, when starting to work on a new engraving, Mrożewski - the life romantic, never made any prior assumptions as far as composition; he was absolutely sure that the right form will suggest itself at the time of cutting into a block of wood. The spontaneous creative passion dominated his art, as well as, his entire lifestyle. It excluded the decorative stylization of Skoczylas.^[2]

Mrożewski's works astonish with their force, passion and expression. The strength of his talent was rooted in his spontaneity, inimitable and unmatched liveliness, and a vitality that was difficult to grasp. He engraved^[3] images of the surrounding world, the environment and portraits of people. He also made ex libris - small symbols of ownership. However, above all, he made illustrations of legends, myths, traditional stories, knightly tales, and great epics of world literature.

The list of Mrożewski's accomplishments in illustration is long.^[4] It begins with two volumes ordered by a Romanian publisher, which he produced in Paris, in 1926. They are illustrations to a collection of Rilke's poetry and a series of graphics to Dostoyevski's Les freres Karamazoff.^[5] Unfortunately, both collections of drawings were lost.

Next, between 1928-1929, he created illustrations for a bibliophile edition of Le Roi au masque d'or by M. Schwob,^[6] published by "Apollo" Colette Weil. The engravings show characters with slender, unnaturally prolonged bodies. The multi-leveled perspective extends deep into the picture. The artist pays careful attention to the facture of materials. The lively bodies are a strong contrast to the environmental elements, the stylized flowers and the colonnade of trees. The horizon ends with a massive, rather Cubist architecture. In some scenes, such as Mourning of the king or Request for charity, the characters take on grotesque qualities. This very meticulous bibliophile edition was published in 100 copies. The first eight contained two copies of graphics and an original drawing of the artist. In 1929, the collection won Mrożewski a silver medal at the Universal National Exhibition in Poznań

At that time, he also made illustrations to Adam Mickiewicz's Works (Dzieła)^[7] and F. Villon's Le Grand Testament.^[8]

The Manfred Kridl edition of Mickiewicz's Works was a large-scale undertaking. Twenty parts bound into ten volumes contained seventeen of the artist's illustrations. This edition, designed for mass production, was prepared in different versions, each adapted to the varying financial possibilities of readers. A portion of the publication was printed on Chinese paper and bound in leather. Although publisher's prospectus for Works named many illustrators, only Mrożewski's pictures appeared in the series.^[9] His engravings did not receive a positive reaction from the critics. Jan Michalski wrote:

[...] despite good intentions, it is hard to find artistry in these wood-engravings: Mickiewicz's scenes and characters appear in these illustrations as in a concave mirror, the clumsy drawing disturbs and causes unexpected amusement among the youth [...].^[10]

The reaction of the critic does not surprise, considering his sentimentalism in recalling M. E. Andriolli's illustrations. However, Mrożewski does not deserve such a harsh criticism, especially, when looking at Faris (Farys), Improvisation (Improwizacja) or Water-nymph (Świtezianka). On the other hand, to be well received by the reader, the grotesque style of illustrations to Pan Tadeusz deviates too far away from the rather bucolic ambiance of the epic.

Mrożewski created 23 wood-engravings to Villon's Le Grand Testament. Similarly to Le roi au masque d'or, 100 copies of a bibliophile edition of this work were published by Colette Weil, in 1930.

Tadeusz Cieślewski-syn describes the plates to Villon's Le Grand Testament, created in 1929, in the following words:

[...] The illustrations to Villon's are a sort of night vision. They are a departure from the serenity of the epical decorative effect of Skoczylas, as well as, the bitterness of dramatic tension of Kulisiewicz's expressions. What substance does Mrożewski command that allows him to build "castles in the air" of his wood-engraving imagination. It is a genuinely graphical substance, a symbol of light - a glow, shine and radiance - a whiteness applied profusely, lushly and dazzlingly; a whiteness produced by a passing of some kind of graver, burin or other sharp tool, cutting deep into the darkness of the surface of the block of wood.^[11]

This excerpt wonderfully describes Mrożewski's way of illustrating, as seen in Madonna with Child or Villon and death. Although the climate and style in these illustrations are different, the use of light is the same. In the first one, the light is joyous and glorifying while, in the second, it is ghostly, more of a shimmer than light. The style is completely different in these two illustrations. Madonna with Child, surrounded by stars, reminds of folk wood-engravings but small grotesque characters at her feet are a reference to other styles. In Villon and death, the death wearing a bishop's dress, as if wrapped in a white cobweb, leans over Villon's body with a cold shimmer shining on it. The image consists of thin, gentle, white lines and spots of light, so delicate that it's hard to believe the viewer is seeing a wood-engraving.

Mrożewski continued his involvement with Colette Weil and the bibliophile publisher "Apollo" until 1932, when he left Paris.

During 1930, Mrożewski worked on wood-engravings for another bibliophile edition of Cervantes' Don Quixote (Przedziwny Hidalgo Don Kichot z Manczy), published by Mortkowicz. Similarly to Mickiewicz's Works, this edition was a big commitment. It was supposed to be the first complete Polish edition of Don Quixote. To fulfill an order of the publisher of this exquisite piece of work, Mrożewski made 24 engravings. The plan was to publish it in parts, on luxury paper and then, have the entire set lavishly bound. However, due to a difficult economic situation and despite the relatively low price, Don Quixote received very little attention. Parts of the first volume were the only ones published. In September 1939, blocks of the second volume burned down in the publisher's stockroom in the Warsaw Old Town. The complete 1937 and 1938 editions of the work, published in four volumes in a smaller format, contained only one of Mrożewski's engravings on each of the covers. The illustrations astonish with their charm and uniform composition. The scenery, flat and mostly without backgrounds, are filled with figures created with soft lines and delicate shades of grayness. Serenity emanates from the images. The movement entering the setting is decelerated, sleepy, as if stopped in a film frame.

In 1931, illustrations to Don Quixote were shown at the International Exhibition of the Beautiful Book, organized in Paris by Jakub Mortkowicz. Mrożewski also presented them at the Third Exhibition of Polish Graphical Art, opened on February 6, 1932 at Zachęta Gallery.^[12]

Illustrations to Chants des soldats juifs, published in 1931, have a different character. They amaze with their simple, almost raw, form.

Another unusual volume to Mrożewski's credit is a carefully made collection of poems titled Polonaise, published in 1934 by Jan Henryk Groot.^[13] When looking at them, one wonders whether it is really Mrożewski's work. At first sight, a strong stylization suggesting nearly abstract forms, for example, in the illustration to the poem Krzyż nad Giewontem, do not seem anything like earlier works by the artist. The only proof of Mrożewski's authorship seems to be his hand signature. Then again, similar stylization can be found in some of his earlier works. It can be seen in his illustrations to Le Roi au masque d'or where the artist presents the environment as a background in a similar schematic way.

In the years 1933-1934, Mrożewski produced illustrations to Wolfram von Eschebach's Parsifal.^[14] He was captivated by the subject matter, as well as, the work itself. His fascination comes through in an amazingly consistent composition, meticulous form and the ambiance of the illustrations. A strongly shortened perspective, a unique type of illumination and vigorous movement make it seem as if the massive figures nearly break through the frames of the image. These engravings, published in London in 1936, won the artist many awards.

In 1937, Mrożewski began working on illustrations to Legendy Warszawy, which absorbed him greatly due to the prestige surrounding the publication. Legendy Warszawy was ordered by the Magistrate of the City of Warsaw to be published by the Society of Polish Bibliophiles. Actually, Mrożewski is not just an illustrator of this work; he can be considered as a co-author, because the text and the illustrations were being created independently at the same time. He began his work by making engravings for a publisher's prospectus, which he pressed by himself on Japanese paper at the printer Drukarnia Salezjańska. The album was widely advertised and became very popular. Two editions were published, in 1938 and 1939.

After WWII, Mrożewski made illustrations for Cercle Grolier edition of La belle et la bete^[15] and for the epic Eckerlijc, by a Dutch bibliophile publisher De Roos Nonessuch Press.^[16] He also worked for Polish émigré publishers. Among others, he created engravings for E. Markowa's Witraże and A. Pomian-Pozerska's Najlonowe skrzydła. However, it seems that, in these works, Mrożewski lost his momentum and gave in to the literary substance.

In later years, Mrożewski made series of engravings, which he pressed himself, including illustrations to Ballads and Romances (Ballady i romanse) by Adam Mickiewicz, Getto Warszawskie and a commemorative album titled Poloniae Christianae Millenium.

A true crowning achievement in Mrożewski's career as an illustrator was a series of engravings to Dante's Divine Comedy (Boska Komedia). He devoted over thirty years of his life to it, starting in 1938 and completing in 1969. Despite being created over such a long time, the illustrations retained a consistent character. The artist applied sharp black and white contrasts while paying great attention to detail. Acts, people, animals and mythical creatures, full of expression, are exposed from the darkness by an unreal light. The images are often enlivened by diagonal cuts on the surface of the engravings. To the viewer it seems that Mrożewski does not just illustrate Divine Comedy, he experiences it along with the poet. The illustrator pressed a small number of these engravings by himself.

Mrożewski's favorite themes revolved around classical literature, fairy-tales and legends. Not all of his works were published in books or albums. Some were created as a commentary to his readings, a by-product of his contemplation, designed for exhibitions. He made single engravings to Goethe's Faust, Shakespeare's King Lear and many others. He was interested in mythology and he didn't avoid erotic themes. For example, in the 1930s and 1940s, he created Leda with a swan, Danae, Sleeping Cupid and Birth of Venus. He also made some works of genre and many others documenting his travels. Views of Amsterdam, Paris and London are an important part of his creative accomplishment.

In addition to illustrations, Stefan Mrożewski also made portraits, which constitute a rather distinctive area of his art. According to Jerzy Szeptycki, the artist made over forty portraits of literary characters, public life figures, as well as, friends or neighbors. He made his first portraits in the 1930s and continued to make them until the end of his life. Just before his death, he was working on a series of portraits of known Polish immigrants in America. He didn't complete the project but that's how he made portraits of Paderewski, Modrzejewska and Rafał Modrzejewski.

The works vary from refined, realistic ones and yet, not free of his interpretation (such as Chesterton's portrait) to almost schematic and yet showing the personality of the model (such as, Feliks Przypkowski). Jerzy Szeptycki wrote about this area of his creativity in the following way:

[...] It is interesting that the naďve simplification, with which Mrozewski draws his figures of street people disappears in the portraits [...]. They become dominated by the objectivity of observation or grotesqueness, as in G. K. Chesterton's portrait [...]. Some portraits by Mrożewski are rich in iconography. The background contains elements from the life of the portrayed, symbols depicting their interests or occupations. In some cases, the background is very rich, such as in portraits of H. G. Wells or J. Piłsudski [...].^[17]

Mrożewski's ex libris, yet again, have a completely different character. They move from simple, lapidary forms to complete stories or tales with a complex iconography. These small graphics could be considered as different in direction and style. They can be seen as secessionist in their gracefulness, such as, ex libris of Wiktor Kielbass, which presents three female figures with blow-balls. Others are sparing in form, based on a monogram, such as, Tadeusz Przypkowski's ex libris.

Between the two World Wars, many of Mrożewski's works were printed in daily newspapers and special magazines, such as, Grafika or Arkady. After WWII, they were also printed in émigré journals. In Poland, they appeared with less frequency, for example, some were printed in a special section "Nasza Galeria" of Kielce's Echo Dnia. After his death, a number of articles with his illustrations were published. In the mid-1980s, a Welsh publisher Gregynog Press renewed the Parzival edition that contained Mrożewski's illustrations. In the 90s, "Secesja," a Cracow publisher took on a task of republishing illustrations to Dante's Divine Comedy. Unfortunately, due to the publisher's lack of knowledge, images pressed on hand-made paper lost their finesse and delicateness, while thin engraved lines spread into unaesthetic stains. It is difficult to consider this edition a success, which is unfortunate because, seeing these 101 illustrations pressed on Japanese paper at an auction at Silva Rerum antique shop, showed how truly delightful they are.

Stefan Mrożewski didn't leave behind any followers of his craft, he didn't create a "school." What he did leave is an enormous body of work. In a notation of the Polski Slownik Biograficzny (Polish Biographical Dictionary), Irena Mrożewska, the artist's wife, estimates that Mrożewski created about 3 thousand works throughout his life.^[18] It includes engravings, ex libris, drypoint graphics, some linoleum prints, early-life oil paintings, as well as, frescoes, designs of stained-glass windows and pastels, which he painted until the end of his life.

Mrożewski's artwork never received a comprehensive monographic study. The work of Amelia Bursowna on literary themes was never completed.^[19] His son, Andrzej Mrożewski, a long-time library director at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Canada, has been preparing a book on his father, for several years. April 2004 will mark 110 years of Mrożewski's birth, a good reason to celebrate his accomplishments by presenting a monographic exhibition, which the National Library has been preparing for the past few years. Organizing such an event in the year of Poland's accession to the European Union would have a symbolic meaning, since Mrożewski was, above all, a true European artist. From 1925 to 1937, he lived outside Poland: France, Holland, Belgium and Great Britain. In the years 1937-1938, he traveled for a few months in Italy. During the war, he stayed in the Kielce region of Poland but, in 1937, he left for France and later, via Holland, he made it to the United States, where he passed away in California, in 1975. His works are held in museums in France, Holland, Belgium, England, Germany, USA and Canada. In his popularity and critical acclaim, he kept close ties with his country of origin and Polish art lovers. After WWII, he tried to maintain the connection but, unfortunately, with much less success.

Footnotes

[1] Advent Morning Mass (Roraty) or St. Paul's Church in Poznań (Kościół św. Pawła w Poznaniu), a wood-engraving by S. Mrożewski.

[2] Szeptycki Jan, Stefan Mrożewski. [In:] Wiadomości 1976 no. 1559 p. 3.

[3] As opposed to Skoczylas, who made illustrations by wood-cutting, i.e. by cutting his compositions out on the side of a plank of wood (using soft kinds of wood like lemonwood), Mrożewski created his works by wood-engraving, using blocks of wood that were cut across the end grain of hard types of wood, such as boxwood, pear etc. The latter form reminds of metal engraving, where similar tools are used, hence, the term engraving, not cutting, as in wood-cutting. The technique of wood-engraving produces delicate thin lines, utterly different from wide contrasting smudges resulting in wood-cutting.

[4] The list of publications created by the present author consists of 41 titles (including one journal). These sources are not being presented at this time due to a need for their verification.

[5] Dostoyevski F.: Les freres Karamazoff. [Bucharest 1926?].

[6] Schwob M.: Le roi au masque d'or. Paris 1929.

[7] Mickiewicz A.: Dzieła. Warszawa 1929.

[8] Villon F.: Poesies. Paris 1929.

[9] M. Komza: Mickiewicz ilustrowany. Wrocław 1987.

[10] Michalski Jan: Ilustrowane wydania "Pana Tadeusza". Lech 1937 no. 1 p. 6-8.

[11] Cieślewski Tadeusz-syn: Drzeworyty Stefana Mrożewskiego. Szkic. Grafika 1930 no. 2 p. 11-17.

[12] For presenting his works at Zachęta Gallery, Mrożewski received an award in the amount of 200 zloty.

[13] Groot J. H.: Polonaise, Nijkerk [circa 1934].

[14] Eschenbach W. von: Persifal. London 1936.

[15] Villeneuve G. S. De: La Belle et la Bete. Paris 1949/1950.

[16] Elckerlijc. Utrecht 1951.

[17] Szeptycki Jerzy, p. 3.

[18] Polski Słownik Biograficzny. Vol. 22 pt. 2 no. 93. Wrocław 1977, p. 217-219.

[19] Bursówna A.: Treści literackie w drzeworytach Stefana Mrożewskiego. Unfinished Doctor's thesis, University of Łodź Main Library, Manuscripts Collection.

Translated by Marta Sobieszek