Lublin - Bystrzyca

Władysław Barwicki was born in Puławy, but chose Lublin as the place to live. The city became his little homeland and he lived there for several dozen years. He was enamoured with its history and monuments, which he preserved in his drawings and poetry. The artist willingly made illustrations to the legends and stories about Lublin, sometimes spinning his own vision of the events.

The work under the authorial title Lublin – Bystrzyca can be better understood through the artist's poetry. In 1915, he published a volume of poems entitled Lublin w pieśni [Lublin in the Song], which he accompanied with his own illustrations. In the first work, Przygrywka [The Prelude], he called Lublin "an old grandfather". He illustrated the poem with graphics almost identical to those from a portfolio of auto-lithographs published two years earlier. The only difference is that in the graphic from the portfolio, the old man is depicted against the background of the Trinity Tower, while in the one from the volume, the Krakow Gate is visible behind his back.

The old man sitting on the city walls holds a rosary in his hand, a symbol of passing time and transience. The painting contrasts the sadness and reverie of the old man - Lublin - with the joy and carelessness of the girl - the personification of the Bystrzyca River. The river is shown as the source of life of the city. Its presence significantly influenced the establishment of Lublin, served the settlement, provided water and fish.

We learn about Barwicki's great love for the city from the above mentioned piece Przygrywka The author writes that all the hardships and sacrifices of everyday life are easier to bear within Lublin's walls than elsewhere. He also confesses that when he stands at the Last Judgement, he will answer God that he does not want heaven without Lublin.