Ruins of the hospital and the Gate of the Holy Spirit in Lublin

Wojciech Gerson is one of the most outstanding representatives of Polish academism, who, in his painting dealt mainly with religious and historical themes. Maintained in a realistic convention, the artist's landscapes, especially the views of the Tatra Mountains, are among the outstanding achievements of Polish landscape painting of the end of the 19th century. Gerson tied his professional life with Warsaw. He began studying architecture and painting at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, and he was also extensively engaged in scientific, cultural and pedagogical activities. In 1867, he opened a private studio for students, and from 1871 he ran the famous Drawing Class, in which several generations of students received artistic education, including J. Chełmoński, J. Pankiewicz, and L. Wyczółkowski. In the years 1849-1953 he co-created the so-called Marcin Olszyński's group, referred to as the first Warsaw bohemia, bringing together students of the School of Fine Arts. Artists from the circle of Olszyński - a patron of art and a photographer, were guided by patriotic ideas and desire to renew Polish painting, which they carried out through artistic activities while traveling around the country and wandering around Warsaw. Already during his studies, Gerson and his friends set off on the so-called "walking tours" documenting the journey in dozens of sketches in pencil or watercolours. One can trace the route of his journey by analysing the drawings, usually carefully described and dated by the artist. Gerson visited the Lublin region twice; the discussed drawing comes from his second trip, which he made in 1953 in the company of M. Olszyński, J. Cegliński and J. Majewski. It led from Warsaw through Przytoczno and Łysobyki to Lubartów, Zawieprzyce and Lublin, and then to Bochotnica, Kazimierz and Janowiec. The dates on the sketches suggest that Gerson arrived in Lublin on 1 August and on the same day he made the first drawing showing the ruins of the no longer existing Świętoduska Gate. Perhaps the "antiquity" of the building and the desire to document the monument and its surroundings falling into decay, prompted the artist to visit the place again two days later. At that time, he took a broader frame, together with the adjoining building of a hospital erected outside the city borders, crowned with a Renaissance attic.

Anna Hałata