Paintings from Poland
Symbolism to Modern Art (1880-1939)

The National Gallery of Ireland
Millennium Wing
17 October 2007 - 27 January 2008
Admission Free

The National Gallery of Ireland presents an exhibition of Polish art spanning the period 1880 to 1939. It will consist of over 70 paintings largely drawn from the National Museum in Warsaw, with loans also from private collections and other galleries in Poland including the National Museum in Cracow and the Tatra Museum in Zakopane.

Presenting many works by artists not seen in this country before, the exhibition focuses on the Symbolist period of the late nineteenth century through to the modernism and abstraction of the inter-war years. The intervening period, the so-called 'meeting of two generations', demonstrates that the birth of modern art was an evolutionary not a revolutionary process.

Poland's turbulent history helps to contextualise some of the imagery in the art of the period - whether it articulates a longing for independence or a desire to embrace an international, borderless notion of art. Seen in a wider European context, the exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see some of the most important works of an extraordinarily creative artistic culture in a period of national upheaval.

• An illustrated bilingual catalogue (English/Polish) with an essay by Dorota Folga-Januszewska (Director of Collection & Research, National Museum in Warsaw), will accompany the exhibition.
• An Acoustiguide® audio tour to the exhibition, narrated by Fiona Shaw, will be available free from the exhibition desk.
• A series of free talks on Polish art presented by invited guest speakers will take place in October and November. (see page 10)
• Guided tours of the exhibition may be booked in advance (3 weeks advance notice is advised) through the Tours Booking Office, Education Department, National Gallery of Ireland (tel. 01- 663 3510)
• An activity sheet for schools will be available during the exhibition.