O związkach Włodzimierza Tetmajera z teatrem

Abstract

ON WŁODZIMIERZ TETMAJER’S CONNECTIONS WITH THE THEATRE

The subject of the article is Włodzimierz Tetmajer’s cooperation with the Kraków theatre as a costume and stage designer portrayed against the backdrop of the rules and conventions which regulated the prevailing thought about visual arts in the theatre at the time, as well as in the context of Tetmajer’s overall artistic and literary interests. The author presents the chronology of Tetmajer’s commissioned stage works, inspects some of them in detail, and formulates an argument about the painter’s extraordinary engagement in the process of preparation of theatre performances and understanding of the rules of creating for the stage. At the same time, she points out that Tetmajer who in 1899 was mentioned as the theatre’s permanent art consultant alongside Stanisław Wyspiański never played a role in the development of Polish scenography as crucial as that played by his younger colleague. The reason for this state of affairs might lie in the painter’s own attitude and his personal goals, as Tetmajer considered the theatre as an intermediate link within his wider web of artistic ambitions and quests.