material: oil on cardboard
dimensions: 34 × 26 cm
description: Kotsis’s pictures of peasants were often criticized for being trivial. Art critics bridled at the “scandalous” realism of his works, devoid of idealization. They did not like his sketchy technique either, criticizing his paintings for careless finish. Kotsis was deeply affected by these comments, so he executed many pieces only for himself. Interior of a Cottage does not contain any critical ideas regarding the poverty of the countryside. The motif of a girl climbing the ladder, devoid of anecdote, has been entirely subordinated to luminous effects, which the artist was totally preoccupied with: the contrasts of light and shadow as well as changes in local colours caused by this kind of lighting. Feathery, fluid and sketchy brushwork is combined with a subtle, limited colour range. A warm patch of light at the entrance to the cottage is contrasted with the darkness of the humble interior and the girl’s clothing: a greyish white blouse and a cold blue skirt. The viewer’s attention is attracted by specific modelling, typical of many works by Kotsis, involving blurring contours of individual objects and blending them softly with the surroundings. Aleksandra Krypczyk
exposition: The Gallery of 19th Century Polish Art in Sukiennice,
The Cloth Hall, 1, Main Market Square
key: Realism, polish impressionism, beginnings of symbolism >>>
dimensions: 34 × 26 cm
description: Kotsis’s pictures of peasants were often criticized for being trivial. Art critics bridled at the “scandalous” realism of his works, devoid of idealization. They did not like his sketchy technique either, criticizing his paintings for careless finish. Kotsis was deeply affected by these comments, so he executed many pieces only for himself. Interior of a Cottage does not contain any critical ideas regarding the poverty of the countryside. The motif of a girl climbing the ladder, devoid of anecdote, has been entirely subordinated to luminous effects, which the artist was totally preoccupied with: the contrasts of light and shadow as well as changes in local colours caused by this kind of lighting. Feathery, fluid and sketchy brushwork is combined with a subtle, limited colour range. A warm patch of light at the entrance to the cottage is contrasted with the darkness of the humble interior and the girl’s clothing: a greyish white blouse and a cold blue skirt. The viewer’s attention is attracted by specific modelling, typical of many works by Kotsis, involving blurring contours of individual objects and blending them softly with the surroundings. Aleksandra Krypczyk
exposition: The Gallery of 19th Century Polish Art in Sukiennice,
The Cloth Hall, 1, Main Market Square
key: Realism, polish impressionism, beginnings of symbolism >>>