Exhibition “Destination Paris. Polish Women Artists from Bourdelle’s Studio”

The exhibition Destination Paris. Polish Women Artists from Bourdelle’s Studio is the second instalment – after Corsets Off. Camille Claudel and Polish Women Sculptors of the 19th Century (held in 2023 at NMW) – in a series organised as part of the research project Polish Women Sculptors of the 19th–20th Century, realised in collaboration with the Musée Rodin in Paris, Musée Camille Claudel in Nogent-sur-Seine and Musée Antoine Bourdelle in Paris.

At the beginning of the 20th century in Poland we observe among young women a strong interest in sculpture, a discipline which, on account of the physical exertion, dust and dirt it involves, was still considered a chiefly masculine pursuit. In taking a closer look at the careers of many women sculptors of the 20th century, the matter of their education cannot be ignored. In Warsaw, women were granted the right to study at the School of Fine Arts in 1904, while in Krakow it was not until 1920. Prior to that, women artists could obtain an education solely in private schools and in artists’ studios. This state of affairs contributed heavily to them seeking training abroad. From the late 19th century, the world art capital was Paris. There, one of the sculpture world figures to whom many Polish women artists gravitated was Antoine Bourdelle, a professor at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière.

Bourdelle, as an active supporter of Poland’s struggle for independence and the creator of the Adam Mickiewicz Monument in Paris, was a particularly significant figure for Polish people. The sculptor taught many outstanding women artists from Poland whose output and successes, including internationally, would go down in history, such as: Jadwiga Bohdanowicz, Janina Broniewska, Luna Drexler, Helena Głogowska, Maria Szczytt-Lednicka, Kazimiera Pajzderska-Małaczyńska, Olga Niewska, Mika Mickun and Zofia Trzcińska-Kamińska. Bourdelle was an esteemed sculptor and educator who strove not to impose his own vision but to inspire.

The exhibition will showcase the work of select women artists, not only sculptors, their connection with the work of the master, their pursuit of a personal, individual road, and their diverse range of forms, materials and subjects. The show will be supplemented with a selection of archival photographs and documents.