“Stop to see how Waliszewski uses Cubist fragmentation to create a striking self-portrait, revealing both geometric deconstruction and a powerful, direct gaze. It's a fascinating glimpse into a young artist's engagement with avant-garde styles.”
This self-portrait by Zygmunt Waliszewski, painted in 1916, captures the artist in a fragmented, almost architectural style. His face is broken into sharp, angular planes, reflecting the Cubist influences that were sweeping through European art at the time. Despite the geometric deconstruction, a sense of intense introspection emanates from his gaze, which seems to look out directly at the viewer. The muted palette of browns, grays, and subtle blues emphasizes the structural elements of the composition, drawing attention to the interplay of light and shadow across his features. This work was created during Waliszewski's early career in Tbilisi, a period when he was deeply engaged with the artistic avant-garde and inspired by Russian Futurism, before he moved to Poland and Paris.
- Artist
- Zygmunt Waliszewski
- Date
- 1916
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Location
- National Museum in Warsaw
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The way the face is broken into multiple, intersecting planes.
The direct, contemplative gaze of the artist.
The angular lines defining the shoulders and collar.
The subtle variations in the muted color palette.
1 more detail is waiting.
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Zygmunt Waliszewski
1897–1936 · PolandZygmunt Waliszewski, a Polish painter and Kapist, honed his craft by copying Old Masters in the Louvre and embracing avant-garde movements across Europe.
Further Works by Waliszewski
Man with children
1916 · National Museum in Warsaw
Still life with a bottle
1916 · National Museum in Warsaw
Still life with a green bottle
1916 · National Museum in Warsaw
Still life with a portrait
1916 · National Museum in Warsaw
Man in a green tailcoat
1919 · National Museum in Warsaw
Portrait of Ms T.
1920 · National Museum in Warsaw
Amazon.
1921 · National Museum in Warsaw
Portrait of Józef Czapski
1924 · National Museum in Warsaw
More works to explore
Beyond Waliszewski: works from the same years.
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
The Red Tower in Halle
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1915 · Museum Folkwang
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Bull's Head
Mikhail Larionov · 1913 · Tretyakov Gallery
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Memories of the Past
Ivan Puni · 1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
American Gothic
Okada Saburosuke · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Apples
Henri Matisse · 1916 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Boy with Baby Carriage
Norman Rockwell · 1916 · Norman Rockwell Museum
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Irises
Claude Monet · 1915 · National Gallery
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Man and Trees, Florida
John Singer Sargent · 1917 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Man with a Pipe
Pablo Picasso · 1915 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Seated Woman, Back View
Egon Schiele · 1917 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Death in the Garden (Legend)
Paul Klee · 1919 · Art Institute of Chicago