Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz

Collection of Stefan Okolowicz, Poland

Olivier Renaud-Clément

Acquired from the above in 2000 by the present owner

A prolific painter, writer, theorist and photographer, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz was one of the most influential avant-garde artists in Poland during the early 20th century. Referring to himself as Witkacy, he was a member of the Formist group of pioneering artists who brought Modern art to Poland. His eccentric use of photography explored the psychology behind the figure. Through exaggerated facial expressions, extreme cropping, and props, Witkiewicz made images of multiple personas within the guise of self-portrait. Trauma informed his art, having witnessed the Russian revolution and the suicide of his fiancée. The day after the Soviet Union invaded Poland in 1939, Witkiewicz took his own life.