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Jan Matejko

How Matejko's paintings serve as a window into Polish history

As a major exhibition marking 2023 the Year of Jan Matejko, TFN looks at the painter’s influence on identity and perception of some of the most iconic moments in Polish history. Łukasz Gągulski/PAP

As a major exhibition marking 2023 the Year of Jan Matejko, TFN looks at the painter’s influence on identity and perception of some of the most iconic moments in Polish history.

Long-forgotten piece of Polish art history resurfaces after 149 years

The sketch in oil was painted by Jan Matejko in around 1874 as a preliminary study for his iconic work Prussian Homage and offers a fascinating insight into the artist's creative process.

Matejko painting goes for whopping €1 million at auction

The staggering amount is one of the highest prices ever fetched at an art auction in Poland.

Govt. launches ‘Empty Frames’ campaign to ramp up efforts to regain WWII looted art

The Empty Frames campaign that aims to remind people about Polish works of art and culture stolen during World War II by both the German and Soviet occupiers, will see, among other things, special plaques providing information about Polish war losses in culture placed in 12 cities across Poland.

Work of illiterate, self-taught artist who became global sensation explored in thoughtful new exhibition

Entitled ‘Nikifor. Painter above Painters’, the exhibition at Warsaw's National Museum of Ethnography brings together 130 of the artist's works from the museum’s deposits as well as rarely displayed works from a private collection.

Lithuania’s ‘Battle of Grunwald’ by 19th century master Jan Styka goes on show in Warsaw

The huge canvas which goes by the lengthy title ‘Vytautas swears revenge on the Teutonic Knights against the background of burning Kaunas’ has come to Poland on temporary loan to mark the 30th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

LEGO fans spend over 400 hours recreating iconic artworks with more than 150K blocks

Using 158,000 pieces of the coloured building bricks, 21 ‘LEGO Ambassadors’ from across Poland spent over 400 hours painstakingly recreating the masterpieces on a 1:1 scale which include Jan Matejko’s iconic Stańczyk.

Łódź artist recreates iconic Matejko masterpiece - and its BIGGER than the massive original

Starting in 2015, Ireneusz Rolewski’s stunning end result is a painting that is 13 cm higher than Matejko's original, giving it massive dimensions of 440 cm high by 987 cm wide.

Old, yes, but still 'as sound as a bell'. King Zygmunt’s 1521 bell celebrates 500th birthday

Weighing nearly 13 tons, cast in Kraków in 1520 by Nuremberg bellmaker Hans Beham, it was hung on 9 July 1521 in a specially erected defence tower of Wawel Royal Castle, known as the Zygmunt Tower.

Painting pioneer who 'dazzled Paris' goes on display to place her as one of Poland’s greats

Relatively unknown in her home country during her short lifetime, 19th century painter Anna Bilińska was a pioneer for female artists who followed, defying conventions, overcoming personal adversity and succeeding in attracting critical acclaim abroad.

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Hero Polish porter who fought off London Bridge terrorist collects bravery award from Princess Anne

In a ceremony at Windsor Castle, Princess Anne presented Łukasz Koczocik with the Queen's Medal for Gallantry, which recognises exemplary acts of courage.

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Webber's World
They say love don't come easy - but it does in Bielsko-Biała!
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