Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

Stanisław Wyspiański Bust in Łazienki Park

The Stanisław Wyspiański Memorial is a gypsum bust sculpture in Warsaw, Poland, located in the Royal Baths Park in the Ujazdów neighbourhood of the Downtown district. Dedicated to Stanisław Wyspiański, the 19th-century playwright, painter, and poet associated with the Young Poland movement, it is a replica of a 1928 wooden sculpture by Apolinary Głowiński. Unveiled in 2004, the monument features an Art Nouveau-style bust with characteristic hair and facial features. Wyspiański’s initials, S. W., are engraved on the chest, and the sculpture stands on a stone pedestal with the inscription Stanisław Wyspiański.

Stanisław Wyspiański bust on a speckled stone pedestal in a wooded outdoor setting
Stanisław Wyspiański bust displayed on a stone pedestal outdoors among trees and rocks.
April 2023 © · CC BY 3.0 pl
Stanisław Wyspiański bust on a tall granite pedestal surrounded by green foliage.
Bust of Stanisław Wyspiański on a granite pedestal in a leafy outdoor setting.
September 2007 © Aleksander Żurakowski · CC BY 2.5
Bust of Stanisław Wyspiański on a dark pedestal in a green garden
The Stanisław Wyspiański bust stands on a pedestal amid lush garden planting.
July 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bust of Stanisław Wyspiański on a tall stone pedestal in a garden
Stanisław Wyspiański bust on a pedestal in a landscaped garden.
May 2011 © · CC BY 3.0
Stanisław Wyspiański bust on a tall stone pedestal in a leafy outdoor setting.
The Stanisław Wyspiański bust stands on a tall stone pedestal surrounded by greenery.
November 2018 © · CC0

Identification

TitleStanisław Wyspiański Memorial
TypeBust sculpture
SubjectStanisław Wyspiański
Dedicated toStanisław Wyspiański
Alternative nameStanisław Wyspiański bust in Łazienki Park

Historical context

Subject description19th-century Polish playwright, painter, and poet
Subject movementYoung Poland movement
Associated literary workNoc listopadowa (November Night)
Work contextInspired by Wyspiański's visit to Łazienki in 1898 and by the events of the November Uprising
Scenes depicted in associated workScenes I–IV, VIII, and IX; set in the park, the Podchorążówka, the Belvedere, and the Amphitheatre

Creator

Original sculptorApolinary Głowiński
Basis for original workWyspiański's self-portraits

Discovery and provenance

Relationship to originalReplica
Proposal byActor Janusz Zakrzeński
Original work awardMedal for best portrait at the Charity Salon of the Zachęta National Gallery of Art
Original work1928 wooden bust by Apolinary Głowiński

History and restoration

Unveiled2004

Physical characteristics

BaseStone pedestal with a square base
CompositionA four-sided brick pedestal with a plaster bust placed on top

Materials

Bust materialGypsum
Original work materialWood

Location and ownership

SignatureEngraved initials S. W. on the chest
CaretakerMuzeum Łazienki Królewskie in Warsaw
InscriptionSTANISŁAW WYSPIAŃSKI
LocationRoyal Baths Park (Łazienki Park), Warsaw, Poland, in an alley near the Amphitheatre above the Lower Southern Pond, in the Ujazdów neighborhood of the Downtown district

Appearance

StyleArt Nouveau / Secession
Stylistic featuresCharacteristic modeling of the hair and facial features
Artistic inspirationBased on Wyspiański's self-portraits

Significance

Meaning of signatureAn artist's mark regularly used by Wyspiański on his visual artworks
Reason for locationIts placement near the Amphitheatre is connected with Wyspiański's literary work and the history of the site
Television adaptationAndrzej Wajda's 1978 television adaptation of Noc listopadowa was largely filmed in Łazienki Park