Young Poland ( ) was a modernist period in Polish visual arts, literature and music, covering roughly the years between 1890 and 1918. It was a result of strong aesthetic opposition to the earlier ideas of Positivism. Young Poland promoted trends of decadence, neo-romanticism, symbolism, Impressionism.
Many of the exhibitions were held at the Palace of Art, also known as "Secession" (Secesja), the headquarters of the Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Arts, in Kraków Old Town.
The term was coined in a manifesto by writer , published in 1898 in the Kraków newspaper à »ycie (Life), and was soon adopted in all of partitioned Poland by analogy to similar terms such as Young Germany, Young Belgium, Young Scandinavia, etc.
Polish literature of the period was based on two main concepts. The earlier was a typically modernist disillusionment with the bourgeoisie, its life style and its culture. Artists following this concept also believed in decadence, an end of all culture, conflict between humans and their civilization, and the concept of art as the highest value (art for art's sake). Authors who followed this concept included Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Stanisà Âaw Przybyszewski, Wacà Âaw Rolicz-Lieder and Jan Kasprowicz.
A later concept was a continuation of romanticism, and as such is often called neo-romanticism. The group of writers following this idea was less organised and the writers themselves covered a large variety of topics in their writings: from sense of mission of a Pole in Stefan à »eromski's prose, through social inequality described by Wà Âadysà Âaw Reymont and Gabriela Zapolska to criticism of Polish society and Polish history by Stanisà Âaw Wyspiaà Âski.
Writers of this period include also: Wacà Âaw Berent, Jan Kasprowicz, Jan Augustyn Kisielewski, Antoni Lange, Jan Lemaà Âski, Bolesà Âaw Leà Âmian, Tadeusz Micià Âski, Andrzej Niemojewski, Franciszek Nowicki, Wà Âadysà Âaw Orkan, Artur Oppman, Wà Âodzimierz Perzyà Âski, Tadeusz Rittner, Wacà Âaw Sieroszewski, Leopold Staff, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Maryla Wolska, Eleonora Kalkowska, Tadeusz Boy-à »eleà Âski, and Jerzy à »uà Âawski.
In music, the term Young Poland is applied to an informal group of composers that include Karol Szymanowski, Grzegorz Fitelberg, Ludomir RÃ³à ¼ycki as well as Mieczysà Âaw Karà Âowicz and Apolinary Szeluto. Almost all educated by Zygmunt Noskowski, the group was under strong influence of neoromanticism in music and especially of foreign composers such as Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner and those belonging to The Mighty Handful group, e.g. Modest Mussorgsky, Alexander Borodin and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
In the period of Young Poland there were no overwhelming trends in Polish art. The painters and sculptors tried to continue the romantic traditions with new ways of expression popularised abroad. The most influential trend was Art Nouveau, although Polish artists started to seek also some form of a national style (including styl zakopiaà Âski or the Zakopane style). Both sculpture and painting were also heavily influenced by all forms of symbolism.
Stanisà Âaw Wyspiaà Âski was a poet, playwright and painter. His drawing, mainly in pastel, stylized to the extreme flowers, landscapes and portraits of children and actors in a testament to the influence of the Vienna Secession, and perhaps also of Japanese art. He also designed stained glass windows, furniture, carpets depicting religious scenes and floral motifs and with stylized lines and bright colors. His stained glass work can be seen in the Wawel Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi of Krakow, and he also painted the mural of the Basilica of St. Mary of Krakow.Józef Mehoffer (1869âÂÂ1946) was a painter and illustrator, but it was his work as a glassmaker that earned him his fame. He made the stained glass windows for the Fribourg Cathedral, as well as for a dozen other churches in Europe. He collaborated with Wyspiaà Âski on the polychromes of the Basilica of St. Mary of Krakow and on the stained glass windows of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Wawel Cathedral.The most notable representatives of Polish symbolism are Wà Âadysà Âaw Podkowià Âski (1866âÂÂ1899) and Jacek Malczewski (1854âÂÂ1929). The latter placed his research in a national current and was particularly interested in the relationship between art and artist. He addressed the theme of the creator's duty in relation to the national past and reflected on the influence of art in real life. For nearly half a century, Malczewski developed cycles and series, mixing his own symbols with those of tradition, whose meaning he changed with new compositions.However, painting was dominated by French Impressionism. Artists were interested in rural life and exalted landscapes and peasants. Women and children were common subjects.
Teodor Axentowicz (1859-1938),Olga Boznaà Âska (1865-1940),and Józef Pankiewicz (1866-1940).Post-impressionist realism was represented by the paintings of Wà Âadysà Âaw à Âlewià Âski (1856-1918),
Leon Wyczóà Âkowski (1852-1936),
Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870-1936),
and Wojciech Weiss (1875-1950).
Witold Wojtkiewicz (1879-1909) et Konrad Krzyà ¼anowski (1872-1922) represented the expressionist tendency. Other painters of this period include Stanislaw Mas-owski, Fryderyk Pautsch, Kazimierz Sichulski, Stanislaw D-bicki, Wadysaw Jarocki, Edward Oku, Wovzimierz Tetmajer and Jan Stanislawwski.