A collection of sketchbooks by students of the Cracow School of Fine Arts in the Jagiellonian University Museum : unknown drawings by S. Wyspiański, J. Mehoffer and others from their excursions with W. Łuszczkiewicz in 1888-1892

Władysław Luszczkiewicz’s excursions with research and artistic goals are in the mainstream of such ventures undertaken by Polish 19th-century researchers. They took place under the patronage of the Committee for Research in the History of Arts of the Academy of Arts and Sciences which was chaired by Łuszczkiewicz, as well as the School of Fine Arts in Cracow where he taught for many years. It is believed that the first of those interesting expeditions was the Professor’s excursion with young Stanisław Wyspiański in the summer of 1888, to the Opoczno region, devoted to the local Romanesque architecture. During these field studies Łuszczkiewicz appreciated the importance of such excursions to research into Polish historic landmarks and to the general education of his students. This was confirmed in the series of seven subsequent expeditions organised in 1889-1893, visiting the parts of Galicia whose history and art were little known at the time. A fortnight trip taken in 1889 was devoted to research on the Sącz region, Biecz and environs, as well as localities in Pogórze Ciężkowickie. Six students took part: Stanislaw Wyspiański, Józef Mehoffer, Stefan Matejko, Karol Maszkowski, Sylweriusz Saski and Celestyn Czynciel. In late July and early August 1890 Łuszczkiewicz set off to explore the environs of Krosno, Sanok and Dobromil. The membership of the group was slightly different (Wyspiański being replaced by Władysław Maślakiewicz). Two sketchbooks have survived from this field trip - by W. Maślakiewicz and S. Matejko, while the third, incomplete J. Mehoffer’s sketchbook contains mainly unknown drawings. In 1891 Luszczkiewicz’s excursion was devoted to exploring historic landmarks of Tarnów Rzeszów, Przeworsk, Łańcut, Jasło and Niepołomice. The professor was accompanied by his students: Karol Maszkowski, Stefan Matejko, Tadeusz Okoń, Karol Polityński and Władysław Maślakiewicz. Outstanding historic landmarks were studied and drawings of them made, along with wooden churches in the vicinity, unknown to art historians at the time. Three students took part in the trip in August 1892. It continued for only one week because of the epidemics of cholera at the time in Galicia. It was soon forgotten and its output is still unknown to art historians. The expedition in 1892 focused on historic landmarks from environs of Czchów and Zakliczyn on the Dunajec river and on several wooden Gothic churches in the vicinity. 1893 saw a decline of the initiative of tours organised by Łuszczkiewicz. This was certainly influenced by the death of Jan Matejko (Director of the School) which concluded the era of historicism in the history of Cracow’s School of Fine Arts. The retirement of Professor Łuszczkiewicz in 1895 was the final caesura for that era. The current interest in this theme is chiefly due to the outstanding quality of drawings made during the trips. A numerous group of excellent graphic artists took part in eight expeditions, so the output consisted of numerous works. However, only a small percentage of the works are known to art historians. The significant knowledge on Luszczkiewicz’s excursions is provided on the basis of eight sketchbooks in the collection of the Jagiellonian University Museum in Cracow. For many years it was believed that they had been lost during WW II. Portfolios of works by Wyspiański, Mehoffer, Stefan Matejko and others contain more thdn a thousand, mostly unknown to date, drawings depicting historic landmarks and made more than 110 years ago. Today they represent an enormous research interest; Above all they form an excellent inventory documentation, covering dozens of historic landmarks that no longer exist. The former students of the School who made these drawings became important personalities in the Polish artistic life in the late 19th and the early 20th c. Two of them - Stanisław Wyspiański and Józef Mehoffer are undoubtedly the most outstanding Polish painters of that time. In addition to their documentary value, sketches by these artists are priceless for their artistic qualities. They are fine works of art, representing the style of the artists’ early works