Romanticism in Poland, a literary, artistic and intellectual period in the evolution ofPolish culture, began around 1820, coinciding with the publication ofAdam Mickiewicz's first poems in 1822. It ended with the suppression of theJanuary 1863 Uprising against theRussian Empire in 1864. The latter event ushered in a new era in Polish culture known asPositivism.[1]
Polish Romanticism, unlikeRomanticism in some other parts of Europe, was not limited toliterary andartistic concerns. Due to specific Polish historical circumstances, notably thepartitions of Poland, it was also an ideological,philosophical, and political movement that expressed the ideals and way of life of a Polish society subjected to foreign rule and to ethnic and religious discrimination.
PolishRomanticism had two distinct periods in terms of its literary forms: 1820–1832, and 1832–1864. In the first period, Polish Romantics were strongly influenced by other European Romantics. Their art featuredemotionalism andirrationality, fantasy and imagination,personality cults,folklore and country life, and the propagation of ideals of freedom. The most famous writers of the period wereAdam Mickiewicz,Seweryn Goszczyński,Tomasz Zan andMaurycy Mochnacki.
In the second period, many of the Polish Romantics worked abroad, often banished from Poland by the occupying powers due to their politically subversive ideas. Their work became increasingly dominated by the ideals of political struggle for freedom and their country'ssovereignty. Elements of mysticism became more prominent. There developed the idea of thepoeta wieszcz (the prophet). Thewieszcz (bard) functioned as spiritual leader to the nation fighting for its independence. The most notable poet so recognized wasAdam Mickiewicz. His famous verse epicPan Tadeusz describes his love for the partitioned homeland and people of his native country:
"OLithuania, my country, thou
Art like good health; I never knew till now
How precious, till I lost thee. Now I see
Thy beauty whole, because I yearn for thee."(— Openingstanza ofPan Tadeusz, Kenneth R. Mackenzie translation)
Other notable Polish Romantic writers active abroad includedJuliusz Słowacki,Zygmunt Krasiński andCyprian Kamil Norwid. A number of Romantics remained active in divided and occupied Poland, includingJózef Ignacy Kraszewski,Wincenty Pol,Władysław Syrokomla, andNarcyza Żmichowska. One of Polish Romanticism's unique qualities was its relation to and inspiration fromPolish history from before the invasion. Polish Romanticism revived the old "Sarmatic" traditions of Polish nobility, theszlachta.[2] Old traditions and customs were portrayed favourably in thePolish messianic movement and in the leading works of virtually all Polish national poets, most notably inPan Tadeusz, but also in the epic works of prose writers includingHenryk Sienkiewicz'sTrylogia.[2] This close connection between Polish Romanticism and the past became one of the defining qualities of the literature of Polish Romantic period, differentiating it from that of other countries who did not suffer the loss of statehood as was the case with Poland.[2]
Romantic ideas informed not onlyliterature but alsopainting andmusic.[3] Polish Romantic painting is exemplified in the work ofArtur Grottger,Henryk Rodakowski, or the equestrian master artistPiotr Michałowski (now atSukiennice), andJan Nepomucen Głowacki considered the father of Polish school of landscape painting, as well as the renowned historical painterLeopold Loeffler invited toKraków byMatejko to teach the future luminaries of theYoung Poland movement includingWyspiański,Tetmajer,Malczewski andWeiss among others. The music ofFrédéric Chopin andStanisław Moniuszko inspired the development of Polish Romantic movement in all fields of creative expression.
