Paderewski in Breslau

Paderewski’s features also aroused interest here in Silesia, as they had done a few years previously in London. “He was no beauty in the literal sense of the word but his facial features exuded a harmony that was deeply felt by all those present as if they had encountered a long yearned for perfection and beauty”.[31]

During his second stay in Breslau Paderewski’s portrait was painted by Max Wislicenus (1861-1957), a professor at the municipal Academy of Arts and Crafts.[32] Here we can only emphasise that in 1901 Wislicenus immortalised a superstar of piano art, a virtuoso genius and a charismatic artist.

Paderewski’s torso was presented in a right profile (40 x 40 cm) on a dark grey background. The shape of his head was emphasised by visible brushstrokes and the help of light coming from the left. His face was dominated by pink tones, whilst his hair and moustache were highlighted in a variation of orange and rust-brown tones

Whilst Wislicenus was painting Paderewski he was clearly under the influence of his unique external appearance and huge personality, just as Harold Bauer had been.

The portrait was in the private collection of Max Wislicenus’ family for many years and hence was completely unknown to the general public. In 1993 the artist’s granddaughter, Claudia Sprengell, donated the picture to the Breslau National Museum/Muzeum Narodowe we Wrocławiu.[33]

Another equally interesting portrait of Paderewski, also found in a private collection in Breslau, is now happily a part of the stocks in the Ossoliński-National Library in Breslau/Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich we Wrocławiu. It was painted by Włodzimierz Błocki (1885-1920)[34], an important portrait artist in Lemberg, whose work also included genre scenes and graphic works. He took part in countless group exhibitions and was celebrated as an “above average, interesting and highly versatile talent”. Here it was emphasised that he was “worthy of greater attention”.[35] In 1918 one critic wrote about him in the following words: “The wonderfully subtle watercolours by Włodzimierz Błocki and his oil paintings display all the virtues of his brushstrokes, his subtlety, the excellent quality of his drawings and the original way in which he masters his themes”.[36]

Błocki lived and worked in Lemberg and only spent his final years in Zakopane when he was suffering from tuberculosis.[37] His portrait of a handsome man with a charismatic appearance, (this is certainly Ignacy J. Paderewski), was made while he was still in Lemberg. The pastel-toned picture (52.5 x 63 cm) is one of the most fascinating portraits of the artist. It shows the torso of the maestro facing us directly. His fully concentrated face, closed eyes and bushy hair recall the atmosphere which filled his recitals and which his student, the pianist Henryk Sztompka, described so convincingly: “Every concert by Paderewski is an enigma made up of his extraordinary concentration, the atmosphere and the powerful effects of his individuality, the compelling suggestion and his incomparable command of the masses that he transforms into a congregation in a religious service.”[38] Błocki’s wonderfully successful portrait gives us the impression of capturing the atmosphere behind this enigma and this is emphasised even more by his tastefully cool use of colours.