On the 100th anniversary of the Jacek Malczewski Museum in Radom, Jacek Malczewski’s painting “Washing of feet” from 1887 was added to the museum’s collection. The museum received it as a gift from the Mazovian Provincial Government.

Deputy Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodeship Rafał Rajkowski announced that the painting cost PLN 1,250,000.

“This is the most expensive work of art to be purchased for our museum facilities run by the Mazovian Voivodeship Self-Government”, Rajkowski noted during a press conference at which the work was presented.

‘Washing of Feet’ is an oil painting on canvas. It dates from the early period of Jacek Malczewski’s work. The artist painted it in 1887 and was inspired by the poem ‘Anhelli’ by Juliusz Słowacki. The work depicts a woman preparing for her husband’s return.

“We see a woman in a rather elaborate, sophisticated pose, tying the strings of her corset to her dress, preparing to wash the feet of her husband, who is returning after a hard day’s work in the mine”, explained Paulina Szymalak-Bugajska, curator at the Jacek Malczewski Museum in Radom.

The large-format painting is the first such large-scale work by Jacek Malczewski in the Radom museum’s collection. The Jacek Malczewski Museum in Radom has the fourth largest collection of works by the Polish symbolist in the country. For many years, the institution has been collecting works and memorabilia related to the artist, who was born in this city.

“This is the most valuable gift and acquisition for us at the moment, because we have not had works of this size, such works are only held by National Museums in Warsaw, maybe in Krakow, and now we are starting such a collection of large-format Malczewski”, said Leszek Ruszczyk, director of the Jacek Malczewski Museum in Radom.

Adrian Andrzejewski