I Accidentally Captured The Forgotten House Of A Famous Polish Painter

October 27th this year began just like any other autumn day – from a broad look at the world through the window one hour before the sunrise. This time the window was not in my house, but in the beautiful manor house of my friends in Radonie near Warsaw.

On that day, the sun’s first rays were due to illuminate the world punctually at 6:23. After a morning coffee I took my car and went in the search of the interesting light and fog that make the world magical… I was heading towards a beautiful path leading through the forest, which I had spotted the day before. Tuesday’s sky was clear, but I couldn’t see the fog anywhere. After about ten kilometres I passed a coppice and reached a place where, over a small basin, some nightly mist still floated. I was hoping that the fog would remain for a longer distance and envelope the way all along my trip. Unfortunately, only a few kilometres away there was not even a trace of it. Something was telling me to turn around, and so I did. In the mist I found a side road leading to the east. I became curious and instinctively headed in that direction. After driving a kilometre, quite unexpectedly I felt the climate of summer, as in front of me stretched a field full of mature rye ready for harvest. Were the seasons different at this place in the world? I felt like a traveller who has discovered a fairytale land. I continued forward, more and more intrigued. After a while, a beautiful alley lit by the morning’s sun’s rays appeared in front of me, and at the end of which I could see a small forest. It was like an invitation which I could not refuse.

I left my car and continued on foot, holding my camera. At the end of the alley was a wooden manor house. However, I first became interested in little houses scattered in the surrounding woods. For a moment I felt like a lost wanderer who happened upon the land of the Hobbits. It turned out that this was an old, abandoned apiary. The sun’s rays, which pierced easily through the nearly bare tree boughs, breathed life into the wooden beehives for that one special moment. Shooting at dawn, in the fog, consists of a constant following of the light, looking out for the luminous phenomena which in photographic slang we call lasers. Searching exactly for that I came to an orchard surrounding the manor. I haven’t seen so many beautiful motifs to capture for some time now. The light led me closer and closer to the house and eventually I spotted a young woman readying herself to ride a bicycle. I introduced myself, explained the passion that had brought me here and asked permission to take some photos of the house and the garden. The woman smiled and asked if I knew who lived in this beautiful place. I had to admit that I came here by accident, and that I know the area poorly. To my amazement I learned that the house, the alley, the park and the charming bee-garden once belonged to Józef Chełmoński, and my interlocutor turned out to be great-great-granddaughter of this amazing painter.

Chełmoński bought the estate after his return from Paris in 1889 and lived there until 1914, the year of his death. This place made him break with his current life, he became more devoted to nature which resulted in his greatest works: “Partridges”, “Storks”, “Ploughing”, “Hawks”, “Silent Night-angel”, “Storm” or “Black Madonna”.

 What a stupendous and joyful coincidence… I stood there dazed and happy. Since the beginning of my photographic journey I never wanted to spy on the work of other photographers in order not to subconsciously become a mere follower. I wanted to be a creator, and it was precisely in the paintings that I was looking for inspiration. Józef Chełmoński with his sensibility has always been one of my favourite painters. His vision of the world is very close to mine. When I am in Cracow, I like to visit a gallery in the Cloth Hall and ponder before his “Four-in-hand” speeding down on me…

The longer I think about it the more I become convinced that this morning was no ordinary accident. It was rather a sign that it is always worth following your own path – even if you have to make a detour from the main road – and let your intuition and your heart lead you in your creation and life.

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