Charmed by Unicorn: Jonas Eustachijus Kosakovskis (Jan Eustachy Kossakowski). Painting, Drawings, Small Sculpture

It is highly symbolic that with the year 2016 counting its last days we are inviting museum visitors to a Kossakowski exhibition again. From January 7 to March 6 we were holding a photo exhibition “Everyday Flowers: Portraits of Women and Children from the Photography Collection of Count Stanisław Kazimierz Kossakowski.” The final stroke of the year is an exhibition of the creative work of the youngest son of the Count and the last official owner of Vaitkuškis Manor, Jan Eustachy Kossakowski (1900–1979) “Charmed by Unicorn.”

The beginner of children’s cardio surgery in Poland took off with his creative activity when the fiftieth anniversary was looming on the horizon. With his professional tool – the sharp surgical scalpel – he was carving miniatures in stone, and, a decade later, took on wood as well. He devoted lots of attention to drawing and painting, and even developed his authorial technique: he was using Swiss-made Caran d’ache crayons for painting on photography paper, and finished off his works with lacquer. Thus the painter managed to produce the effect of enamel or stained glass. When his disease started progressing, he had to abandon surgery which was so close to his heart. However, this loss encouraged Jan Eustachy Kossakowski to fully devote himself to creative activity. Here, he could not only reveal his artful talents but also refresh his soul as if by undergoing art therapy.

The works of Jan Eustachy Kossakowski may be compared with the efforts of the representatives of the primitive – or naïve – art. They enchant by sincerity, lavish diversity of colours, playful inventiveness and subtle humour. Religious motifs predominate, and Holy Virgin Mary is given ultimate respect. Fantasy, mythology and fairytale motifs also abound, and the snapshots of his environment, especially his childhood memories, are also fairly common. Flower compositions testify the fondness of the man’s heart.

We kindly invite You to attend this exhibition scintillating light and warmth. The exhibition has been a gift of “Fundacja Kossakowskiego” a foundation set up in Warsaw in 2008 to honour the name of Jan Eustachy Kossakowski.

Exhibition works: 07 12 2016–29 01 2017