Wątek dziedziczenie tradycji powstańczych w sztuce legionowej (1914—1918)

Abstrakt

THE THEME OF INHERITED TRADITION OF THE UPRISINGS IN THE ART OF THE POLISH LEGIONS

During World War I the soldiers of the Polish Legions were generally perceived as the successors to the traditions of the Polish Uprisings by their supporters. Artists and poets, writers and politicians saw the Legions as a new link in the chain of old Polish military traditions. They considered the legionnaires to be the successors of the old knights, the soldiers of Kościuszko and Napoleon, the army of the Polish Kingdom and insurgents from the 1863 uprising. The links with the 19th-century traditions of the national uprisings were emphasised. The stereotype of a legionnaire as fighter continuing the struggle for independence as in the 19th century was promoted by patriotic journalists, writers and artists from almost the outbreak of war. These artists, men of letters and politicians believed that the struggle of the Legions with Russia, was, in fact, the fourth national uprising, and the legionnaires were the next generation of insurgents.
In art, legionnaires were depicted as new insurgents using the following iconographie motifs: the continuation of traditions of armed struggle, the motifs of two generations and the fourth uprising and the motif of bravery. The soldiers were depicted in this way by Jacek Malczewski, Jan Rembowski, Jan Skotnicki, Stanisław Bagieński, Kazimierz Sichulski, Karol Maszkowski, Wojciech Jastrzębowski, Stanisław Lentz, Leonard Stroynowski, Adam Setkowicz, Walerian Kryciński, Tadeusz Korpal, Kazimierz Zaborowski, Stanisław Lewandowski, Kazimierz Chodziński, Zygmunt Kurczyński, Maryla Płonowska and other artists.
The fact that legionnaires were seen as national heroes and that their struggle was ranked as the fourth uprising was of great significance in patriotic propaganda, as, due to this, the Legions gained respect and support from the community. It satisfied the patriotic ambitions of that part of Polish society which longed for a more active resistance and created new ’’national saints”, boosting the feeling of national pride. Thereby the soldiers were granted a passport to history and given credit for their armed struggle.