Artwork
Tempest
Tempest is an oil painting by the Realist artist Franciszek Kostrzewski. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1853 by Polish artist Franciszek Kostrzewski, *Tempest* is an oil painting that exemplifies the Realist concern for everyday subjects. The work shows a family unit moving along a rural path under a storm‑laden sky, rendered with careful observation of light, weather and landscape. It is part of the National Museum in Warsaw’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a man and a woman carrying an infant as they walk a dirt track flanked by trees and shrubbery.
The composition centers on a man and a woman carrying an infant as they walk a dirt track flanked by trees and shrubbery. Their attire—a long coat and hat for the man, a flowing dress for the woman—suggests mid‑19th‑century rural life. The presence of a distant stone column topped with a statue adds a subtle reference to history or pilgrimage, while the looming clouds convey a sense of travel amid uncertainty.
Technique & Style
Kostrzewski employs a restrained palette and precise brushwork typical of Realism, avoiding idealization in favor of observable detail. Strong chiaroscuro contrasts the illuminated figures with the darker foreground and sky, guiding the eye toward the family. The atmospheric rendering of clouds and the depth created by the distant column demonstrate his skill in modeling space within a single‑plane landscape.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the National Museum in Warsaw, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to representing Polish artists of the 19th century and to preserving works that illustrate the Realist movement’s impact on national visual culture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Franciszek Kostrzewski (19 April 1826 – 30 September 1911) was a Polish illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist, comics artist and painter in the Realistic style.
Orphan
A Path leading through a Wood with Figures
Baptism of the Eunuch of Queen Candace
Lepääviä maalaisia ja tanssivia lapsia
Wooded Landscape with a Boy Leading a Donkey and Dog, and an Extensive Panorama with Buildings and Distant Hills
Soldaten unterwegs
Forest landscape with a road and a river
Arcadisch landschap met linksvoor kinderen met een vogel en een hond
The See-Saw
Italiaans landschap
Italiaans landschap met tekenaar