The Krakow exhibition culminates the monumental series of three monographic exhibitions dedicated to Józef Chełmoński (1849–1914). Two previous editions took place at the National Museum in Warsaw and the National Museum in Poznań. The exhibition includes a wide selection of oil paintings, watercolours and drawing works from many private collections as well as from museum collections - domestic and foreign ones. The extraordinary talent of the creator of Gossamer (pl. Babie lato) and the sensual beauty of his works have earned him the status of a national artist and one of the most outstanding representatives of Polish realism.

Chełmoński's works are worth admiring as outstanding examples of 19th-century realism and appreciating their painterly execution. They also open contemporary audiences to a love of nature with all its richness of fauna and flora, reminding us of the need to care for the condition of the natural world and the necessity of living in harmony with it. The artist’s striking iconography is equally captivating, featuring depictions based on the recreation of observed everyday life and landscapes in a wide variety of weather and situational variations. When engaging with them, one can, among other approaches, follow the path of the so-called folk turn, attempting to reassess what lies beneath our notions of folksiness and native identity.

Despite the impression of intuition and spontaneity, Chełmoński’s creative approach is characterised by consistency in the themes he explores. He captured the world of his time, which, though real and everyday, was filtered through his emotional perspective. This resonated in the artist's attitude as a special symbiosis of realism and romanticism.

The incredible potential of Chełmoński’s works encourages one to determine their own path while exploring them. We aimed to make visiting our exhibition allow for an individual contact with the artist’s work, without the need to label or categorise it. Raising awareness of the multiplicity and equal value of interpretations will best enable each of us to answer the question: What is my Chełmoński?