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Fern flower (On St. John's Night). by Witold Pruszkowski

Fern flower (On St. John's Night).

Witold Pruszkowski · 1875

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“This painting vividly captures a moment from Slavic folklore, where a magical fern flower blooms only on St. John's Night. It's a journey into a mystical forest, inviting you to witness a rare, enchanted event.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this nocturne, a young boy stands in a dense, moonlit forest, his gaze drawn to the glowing fern at his feet. The scene captures the mystical atmosphere of St. John's Night, a pagan holiday where, according to Slavic folklore, a magical fern flower blooms briefly, granting immense wealth to whoever finds it. The soft focus and unique color palette, with its deep blues and greens illuminated by an ethereal glow, create a dreamlike quality, blurring the lines between the tangible world and the supernatural. The painting draws from Polish national literature and folklore, transforming a simple narrative into a commentary on the connection between the earthly and the otherworldly. It invites the viewer to step into a moment of quiet wonder and ancient belief, where the ordinary forest holds extraordinary secrets.

DETAILS
Artist
Witold Pruszkowski
Date
1875
Medium
Oil on canvas
Location
National Museum in Warsaw
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What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

Fern flower (On St. John's Night).

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01

The lit boy

Find the small figure in a pale shirt with a red sash, caught in a patch of light. He shades his eyes with one raised arm, as if searching the dark.

1 of 4 on the painting
02Whole painting

Swallowed by the forest

The tall, crowded trees and leaves fill nearly the whole canvas. The boy is small and low, so the forest feels huge and he seems lost in it.

03

Flickering leaves

In the upper left and center, small flecks of pale paint on dark ground make leaves catch the light. They give the thicket a restless, shimmering feel.

2 of 4 on the painting
04

The slim birch

On the left, a thin pale trunk, likely a birch, rises almost the full height of the picture. Its vertical line leads the eye upward through the dark canopy.

3 of 4 on the painting
05

Shaded face

The boy's face sits in the shadow of his raised arm, under a red-trimmed cap. His expression is hard to read, which adds to the tension of the night.

4 of 4 on the painting
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THE ARTIST

Witold Pruszkowski

1846–1896 · Poland

Witold Pruszkowski, a Polish Symbolist painter, masterfully blended national literature with ethereal commentary, particularly in his haunting 'March to Siberia'.

Read Pruszkowski’s full story
MORE FROM THIS ARTIST

Further Works by Pruszkowski

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Portrait of Włodzimierz de Rosenwerth Rużycki Portrait of Włodzimierz de Rosenwerth Rużycki 1865 · National Museum in Warsaw Portrait of Mrs Matlińska. Portrait of Mrs Matlińska. 1871 · National Museum in Warsaw Portrait of artist's sister. Portrait of artist's sister. 1875 · National Museum in Warsaw When the morning glows arise. When the morning glows arise. 1876 · National Museum in Warsaw Water nymphs. Water nymphs. 1877 · National Museum in Warsaw Artist’s son with a dog Artist’s son with a dog 1881 · National Museum in Warsaw Suicide’s grave Suicide’s grave 1881 · National Museum in Warsaw Falling star Falling star 1884 · National Museum in Warsaw
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Beyond Pruszkowski: works from the same years.

Cart with Red and White Ox Same era · 1860s–1890s Cart with Red and White Ox Vincent van Gogh · 1884 · Kröller-Müller Museum Chariot Race Same era · 1860s–1890s Chariot Race Léon-Victor Dupré · 1876 · Art Institute of Chicago Paris Street; Rainy Day Same era · 1860s–1890s Paris Street; Rainy Day Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Same era · 1860s–1890s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago The Backgammon Players Same era · 1860s–1890s The Backgammon Players Philip Webb · 1861 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Henri Degas and His Niece Lucie Degas (The Artist's Uncle and Cousin) Same era · 1860s–1890s Henri Degas and His Niece Lucie Degas (The Artist's Uncle and Cousin) Edgar Degas · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago Landscape along the Seine with the Institut de France and the Pont des Arts Same era · 1860s–1890s Landscape along the Seine with the Institut de France and the Pont des Arts Alfred Sisley · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago The Fishermen (Fantastic Scene) Same era · 1860s–1890s The Fishermen (Fantastic Scene) Paul Cézanne · 1875 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
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