Dimensions: 56 × 46 cm
purchase, 1950
inv. no. MP 338 MNW
Adoption period: 1 year
Biography
This is one of several sketches preceding the painting of Wladyslaw Podkowiński's most famous canvas. Frenzy, after its exhibition in Warsaw's Zachęta Gallery, aroused extreme emotions among viewers and critics. Conservative segments of society felt that such a bold vision of erotic ecstasy violated the rules of good taste, verging on pornography. However, representatives of the younger generation saw in this work an expression of unfettered creative freedom, shattering the existing canons of art and moral norms. They defended the artist's right to express personal feelings: suffering, pain and passion.
A naked woman tenderly embraces the neck of a horse tense to jump, reminiscent of an apocalyptic beast. The two fall into nothingness amidst some swirling cosmic matter. The dynamism of the composition and heightened expression contribute to the painting's symbolism. The frenzy of erotic passions appears here as an expression of the sexual instinct - the most important force determining human existence.
Władysław Podkowiński's Frenzy is considered one of the most outstanding works of Polish Symbolism.