Stanislaw Wyspianski Portraits

Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 27 March - 13 July 2025

One of Poland's most important artists, Stanisław Wyspiański (1869-1907) worked in a variety of media and disciplines, and his art shaped the development of visual culture in Poland at what proved to be a decisive moment in the country's history.

A leading figure in the Kraków-based modernist movement Young Poland, Wyspiański is seen by many Poles as the voice of a nation divided by occupying forces. In response to the country's political non-existence, Young Poland sought to create a new national art based on folk traditions, exploring cultural identity. The Young Poland movement was instrumental in securing Poland's independence in 1918.

Through 16 of Wyspiański's most admired portraits, some never exhibited outside Poland, this exhibition catalogue pays tribute to the painter, designer, poet and initiator of modern Polish theatre.