
Ballads and romances
Not so long ago I was invited to take part in another group art show in Provincial Public Library in Cracow, dedicated to the poems from “Ballads and Romances” by Adam Mickiewicz. It was related to the event of National Reading Day in Poland, that took place on Saturday, September 3rd, 2022.
I decided to create my own interpretation of the poem “Åšwitezianka”, showing the darker side of The Lady of Lake Åšwiteź: Is it not the same person whom the young man fell in love with, despite the disguise, declarations and deceit? Does true love, being blind, not anticipate and see beyond delusion? If so, isn’t the manipulation and provocation of the Lady an even more terrifying evil, than his ‘betrayal’? So difficult to see through her crime and understand it, hence so hard to fight it.
My second painting presented at this show, illustrates the ballad “Pani Twardowska”, which “may seem like the poet’s most daring foray into the realm of the comical and purely fantastical” (for more go here).
A poem that can be interpreted also in a different way.
Does it mean that love, caring and familial, is what evil in its pure form is simply not capable of. And that love, such for good and bad, where there is place for all the emotions and troubles of everyday’s life, but also for respect, care, mindfulness and support in everyday struggles – that such love helps to fight evil and is not afraid of it?
Leave a Reply