The Anna Bilińska Mural on Smolna Street

Exhibition at the National Museum.

From 26 June 2021, the exhibition "Artist. Anna Bilińska 1854–1893" can be seen at the National Museum in Warsaw. It tells the story of the painter's determination, hard work and talent. The main thread of the exhibition is Bilińska's artistic career, leading from her first painting attempts in Warsaw, through her studies at the Académie Julian in Paris, to her participation in international art exhibitions.

Few of the artist's works have survived in Polish collections, with a large portion remaining in private hands. The exhibition aims to present the widest possible selection of Bilińska's paintings and drawings — including previously unknown works — from Polish and foreign museums and private collections.

The exhibition "Artist. Anna Bilińska 1854–1893" at the National Museum in Warsaw runs until 10 October. The curators of the project are Zofia Machnicka of the National Museum in Warsaw and Antoni Starowieyski of the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

The mural on Smolna Street.

To mark the exhibition, a mural depicting Anna Bilińska was created on the facade of the building at ul. Smolna 15, close to the National Museum. It was painted by artists from Good Looking Studio. Representatives of the younger generation — students of the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, taking their first steps in the art world — were involved in its design. The project is a reinterpretation of the artist's self-portrait.

Bilińska's painting and biography served as inspiration for the young students. Her career was the product not only of talent, but also — and perhaps above all — of determination. This was essential in an era of the restrictions experienced by women in the 19th century within art institutions and artistic education, as well as due to social norms and expectations. These themes serve as a reminder of women's presence in art history and form the guiding motif of the mural project. For this reason, the names of other female artists have been placed alongside the image of Anna Bilińska.

The mural can be seen at ul. Smolna 15 in Warsaw until the end of July 2021.

The painter's international fame.

Anna Bilińska (1854–1893) was the first Polish female artist to gain international recognition. As early as the age of 22 she was exhibiting her works at the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts. Her works were appreciated by European critics and displayed at prominent exhibitions in Paris — the artistic centre of Europe in the second half of the 19th century. Today, the artist's paintings continue to attract interest. Yet despite many of Bilińska's works having entered the canon of Polish art, she remains unknown to a wider international audience.

Shortly after returning to Warsaw, now as the married Anna Bilińska-Bohdanowicz, she decided to establish a painting school for women, modelled on the Parisian academies. These plans were never realised. They were prevented by a heart condition that led to the artist's premature death at the age of just 39.

Artists

The reinterpretations of Anna Bilińska's self-portraits were created by: Anna Balcerak, Patrycja Chojnacka, Aleksandra Nowicka, Patrycja Serweta and Wiktoria Wojciechowska.

Partners

The mural was created in collaboration between Good Looking Studio and AkzoNobel.

Article published: June 2021