In art history, the definition of a self-portrait goes beyond the framework of mechanically rendered likeness. Although their form has evolved substantially compared to the old days, even back then, the portrait was regarded as a mirror of the soul and a source of knowledge about the portrayed. In Poland, one of the most prominent collectors of such art was Count Ignacy Korwin-Milewski, whose collection included self-portraits of esteemed artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. His collection, as a model for the tradition of private patronage, serves as the contributing factor for the ongoing Self-Portraits exhibition in the National Museum in Warsaw.
Our times are marked by the overflow of self-images. The first definitions of a “selfie” emerged in 2014 to then having dominated contemporary popular culture and art. The pieces presented at the National Museum redefine the notion of self-referentiality by adopting a more critical approach and examining it from historical, social, and political perspectives. The exhibition demonstrates a variety of ways in which one can utilise this universal motif in art history to express oneself, their thoughts and beliefs. We speak with the curators, Katarzyna Szydłowska-Schiller and Tomasz Jeziorowski, about their collaboration with the artists and vision for this exhibition.
Julia Gorlewska: While reading the exhibition programme, I couldn’t help but notice an enormous role played by the collection of self-portraits of artists from the 19th and 20th centuries, which belonged to Korwin-Milewski. One could say that you have mirrored his actions by assigning a similar task to contemporary artists. As a result, the exhibition does not only centre around self-referentiality but also social and political issues. Could you tell us more about the genesis of a project? Which work surprised you the most?
Katarzyna Szydłowska-Schiller: Korwin-Milewski is an interesting example of a patron of the arts. For us, when it comes to this exhibition, it was the Friends of the National Museum in Warsaw Association. In fact, we mirrored Korwin-Milewski’s actions by commissioning self-portraits from contemporary artists to enrich the museum collection. However, this is where the similarities end. Unlike the Count, we imposed no expectations or vision of our own, which is why the exhibition is so diverse in terms of form and style. The invitation was extended to artists from different generations and art backgrounds. We knew that certain imposed restrictions would have caused some of them to refuse us, but also the effect itself probably would not have been as interesting. With the development of the collection in mind, we wanted to diversify rather than homogenise.
Tomasz Jeziorowski: The differences between the two collections show how times have changed – in terms of the relationship between the artist and the viewer, as well as between the artist and the patron. To be honest, from today’s point of view, I find it difficult to understand why Korwin Milewski decided to restrict his artists so much. I think it is this lack of expectation on our part that has made the effect of [our] exhibition so interesting.
J.G.: Precisely, the exhibition features almost every medium imaginable: installations, sculptures, paintings, drawings, and photography. Was your selection of participating artists also dictated by the wish to showcase this formal diversity of the Polish art scene?
K.S.S.: It happened organically. Contrary to Krowin Milewski’s collection, “our” painters not only paint, but also sculpt and create spatial works. Katarzyna Krakowiak-Bałka created a compelling sound installation for us. Nowadays, it is somewhat challenging to find an artist who operates within just one medium. That being said, the exhibition also features the works of Jarosław Modzelewski and Łukasz Korolkiewicz, who have both been primarily doing painting all their lives. Barbara Falender, on the other hand, who is close to them in terms of generation, is a multidisciplinary artist who expresses herself in many ways, which is also evident in the exhibition.
T.J.: It is also a sign of the times when artists are moving away from categorisation; they are experimenting with different media and techniques. What was interesting for us was approaching artists who had already worked in the portrait domain before, but also those for whom it was a complete novelty.I think the exhibition proved to be a challenge for both sides; we were curious to see how the artists would approach and interpret the subject. In many cases, just displaying the works turned out to be an interesting curatorial challenge.
J.G.: Let’s talk about the artists themselves. In the exhibition, there are twenty works by Polish contemporary artists. Why did you decide to invite them to work with you?
T.J.: Korwin-Milewski commissioned a self-portrait from only one female painter – Anna Bilińska-Bohdanowiczowa. Although the art world at the end of the 19th century was dominated very much by men, the collection could have easily include works by Olga Boznańska or Mela Muter. We were keen to maintain parity – 10 male and 10 female artists. However, it should be noted that our intention as curators of the exhibition was far from establishing a new canon designating the most significant representatives of Polish contemporary art. The point of departure was our collection. We carefully analysed whose works were missing from the collection and which we really wanted to have, and we decided to acquire them under the pretext of the exhibition. On the other hand, the exhibition also presents paintings by artists whose works we already have, but early ones. We wanted to get something new, in a different, updated format.
K.S.S.: One might say that the programme of this exhibition is a dream come true for any museum professional. We were deeply committed to not treating it in terms of a “Top twenty”. The ideas were flying when we debated the selection of artists with Agnieszka Tarasiuk, a former director of the Museum of Sculpture at the Królikarnia Palace [in Warsaw]. Ultimately, our patron, namely the Friends of the NMW Association, decided that the exhibition could feature up to twenty artworks. They had to be financed in time, so it was also a question of responsibility and obligation to our audience.
T.J.: It is worth emphasising that if it were not for the Association, its involvement, and the founders, this project would have never materialised. We are deeply grateful for this collaboration.
“it was our intention to create a joint narrative, one should bear in mind that each of those portraits is a singular piece of art that could be considered separately.”
— Tomasz Jeziorowski
J.G.: The authors of the displayed works come from different backgrounds and are often separated by a considerable generational difference. Yet it was possible to find points of commonality and thus divide the exhibition into three distinct sequences. What are the main points of focus for each group? What are the reasons for the differences between them?
K.S.S.: We have divided the exhibition into three sections – “Classical Self-portrait,” “Dialogue with Self-Image”, and “Social Engagement”. As mentioned, we did not impose form or content, so in many cases the works came as a surprise to us. On closer inspection, however, we saw clear tendencies that the artists had used to express themselves or their views.
T.J.: Naturally, the exhibition itself as well as its classification are subject to our personal interpretation. This could have been done in so many different ways. Though it was our intention to create a joint narrative, one should bear in mind that each of those portraits is a singular piece of art that could be considered separately.
J.G.: Could we please share more about these classifications – what influenced them? Were there any formal or generational issues?
T.J.: Yes and no. The first room dedicated to traditional self-portraits presents works of the oldest artists – Łukasz Korolkiewicz and Barbara Falender. But then, in the third section on social engagement, there is the work of Izabella Gustowska, who is the doyenne of multimedia art in Poland. Despite stereotypes, it is not always the case that those older artists are the most classical or conservative. There is also potential for certain surprises, which is also confirmed by the exhibition.
K.S.S.: There is no pattern to the age of artists and the classification of their work. Nowadays, numerous contemporary artists comment on reality, commenting on what surrounds and touches them. Addressing social issues might have been slightly more difficult in the context of the 19th-century painting, but it certainly happened.
T.J.: I think at the time there was simply something different expected of artists, and this is visible, for example, in the Korwin Milewski collection, whose visions artists were expected to reproduce. Of course, already in the Renaissance or Baroque, painters, sculptors, or architects emphasised their status and place in the social hierarchy, but this was not so common. I agree with Katarzyna that many artists featured in this exhibition decided to tackle current social issues that do not just affect them as individuals, but larger social groups. In my mind, this type of awareness is a sign of our times. In this context, art often manifests convictions and provides an opportunity for taking a stance on important social issues.
J.G.: As we leave the “Classical Self-Portrait” room, we move on to the section presenting works by artists who play with this theme, the so-called “Dialogue with Self-Image”. Did any of those interpretations particularly surprise you?
K.S.S.: There were quite a few surprises. For some, the exhibition was a contribution with a subject they had never dealt with before. Certainly, an interesting example is Mirosław Bałka’s work – a wall niche the size of the artist’s body in which a sculpture or a pedestal could stand, and which thus addresses the problem of absence in presence. It was with some trepidation that I imagined that we would have to carve a niche in those historic walls, but I was reassured when it turned out that this was impossible and that it had to be planned differently.
T.J.: Actually, almost everything came as a surprise. I was very curious about Jadwiga Sawicka’s approach to the subject of self-portraiture, who has been painting universal fragments of texts for twenty years. “Tarzałam się w grzechu” (“I was wallowing in sin”) is probably her first work in the first person. The exhibition demonstrated that the artists who create figurative art and who “should” create self-portraits do not do so at all, or do so very rarely.
“The exhibition has shown how graceful a subject the self-portrait is and how much content can be smuggled through it. It can be seen as an interpretation of social knowledge, a representative cross-section that shows that artists are part of society and have a need to speak out on issues that affect them.”
— Katarzyna Szydłowska-Schiller
J.G.: What is it about the notion of selfhood, then, that some people don’t want to face?
TJ: Many artists view almost every work as some kind of self-portrait that contains its elements. However, those thoughtful self-portraits that contain an important part of the artist themselves or their work are a kind of summary. This manifests itself in the works displayed on the exhibition, such as the piece by Zuzanna Janin, who created a complex self-portrait that could be interpreted from various angles. First and foremost, it refers to her life, her practice and its various stages.
J.G.: The third and final room focuses on social engagement. Artists utilise their image to proclaim their own beliefs. Do you think self-portraits in art history have given rise to the current “selfie culture”? How do you see the theme of self-creation in current pop culture?
K.S.S.: The exhibition is a testament to the diverse reception of the theme of the self-portrait in Polish contemporary art, while at the same time, no one has made any reference to the aforementioned “selfie culture”. This contemporary overabundance of images in culture has caused artists to look for another way in self-presentation. The exhibition has shown how graceful a subject the self-portrait is and how much content can be smuggled through it. It can be seen as an interpretation of social knowledge, a representative cross-section that shows that artists are part of society and have a need to speak out on issues that affect them.
T.J.: Overall, I think that most selfies, however, show only an image without any depth – they are quite superficial. Perhaps this is the reason why the self-portrait is currently undergoing a crisis and why many artists take a departure from this subject. This is most evident in the last two sections, which show that the self-portrait in art is more than just an image. We are pleased that the project was time-bound, as it addresses the most topical themes.
J.G.: Let’s circle back to the subject of the artists themselves. Who is missing from this exhibition? Did anyone turn you down?
K.S.S.: The list of female and male artists was established quite quickly. Some people refused us because, for example, the subject of the self-portrait itself did not appeal to them, and they did not feel the need to tackle it. Others simply don’t accept commissions and work exclusively with their concepts or series. Perhaps they feared restrictions on our part, and we really didn’t set any. To the point that some works barely managed to fit through the museum doors.
T.J.: Yes, the exhibition showed that although the museum building is fairly new – it was built almost a hundred years ago, it unfortunately still has some limitations. Those contemporary works of art were really hard to display. In this context, we envy these more modern institutions equipped with freight lifts or simply having larger spaces.
J.G.: Could you share what will happen with the pieces after the show closes in July? Have they been commissioned with the planned contemporary art gallery in mind?
K.S.S.: The works have gone into our collection: painting, multimedia, new media, sculpture, drawing. Ideally, they should become part of the planned gallery of the 20th and 21st centuries, but on the other hand, because they are centred around a particular theme, it is impossible for all of them to be there. I think that once the gallery is established, we will gradually add them, weaving them into the story of the present.
“Many artists view almost every work as some kind of self-portrait that contains its elements.”
— Tomasz Jeziorowski
J.G.: But after seeing the exhibition, it is also worth reading the comprehensive bilingual catalogue.
T.S.: Right, the Friends of the NMW Association wanted the catalogue to be translated, as they plan to send it to various institutions around the world. It presents the collection, describes the Association’s partnership with the Museum, and provides information about the project and the collection’s theme. Preliminary discussions about presenting the show abroad are underway. Perhaps they will be successful. The exhibition deals with art of the 21st century; it addresses global, universal problems of the world, and therefore I think it could also be interesting for foreign audiences.
J.G.: Have you received any feedback from the audience of the exhibition yet?
K.S.S.: We have been hearing mostly positive reviews. I saw this comment on Instagram saying that there is too much text and explanation of individual works in the exhibition. It struck a nerve with me a bit because the main criticism of contemporary art usually refers precisely to the lack of context. We saw the opportunity to include more comprehensive interpretations, and we took it. Besides, contemporary art usually calls for a commentary due to its intricate connection with culture and society. I think it was the only negative opinion. The majority seems to enjoy the exhibition.
T.J.: I beg to differ with this comment. If someone wants to be cut off from any information and rely solely on their own feelings, then naturally, they are free to do so and simply not read the plaques. Presented texts are attempts at interpreting specific works, which one might contest. We tried to be as succinct as possible and provide points of reference for further individual analyses. As far as overall feedback is concerned, people most often discuss particular pieces that moved and captivated them.
Self-Portraits/Autoportrety
March 21 – July 20, 2025
National Museum in Warsaw
