NEW EPISODE: KITCHEN CONVERSATIONS EP. 65 – ABOUT STANISLAW WYSPIANSKI

EP. 65: about the exhibition Stanisław Wyspiański: Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery in London – in conversation with Alison Smith – curator of the display, previously Chief Curator of the National Portrait Gallery, London and currently Director of Collections and Research at the Wallace Collection. Together with Andrzej Szczerski—curated a display of Stanisław Wyspiański’s pastel portraits, now on view at the National Portrait Gallery until 13 July 2025.

Stanisław Wyspiański (1869-1907) was a Polish painter, designer, poet and originator of modern Polish Theater. He was also a key figure of the Młoda Polska (Young Poland) art movement that helped keep national identity alive during Poland’s partitions.

This podcast episode offers a glimpse into the unique pastel works of Wyspiański, featuring stories of his sitters—including members of the Cracovian intelligentsia—his family, and the artist himself, as well as his decade-long struggle with an illness that profoundly shaped his life and creative output.

The one-room display, showing 16 of Wyspiański’s pastel portraits at the National Portrait Gallery in London is free and open to all till the 13th of July 2025.

Listen here (on Spotify or other podcast platforms) – https://linktr.ee/kitchenconversations

References:

About the Exhibition: https://www.npg.org.uk/

Exhibition Catalogue: https://npgshop.org.uk/collections/books/products/stanislaw-wyspianski-portraits-hardcover-catalogue

This episode was created for and with support of the Contemporary LYNX and with support of the Polish Cultural Institute London.

Podcast thumbnail: Józio Feldman by Stanisław Wyspiański, 1905. National Museum in Kraków. Photo: Bartosz Cygan/NMK Digitization Studio.

Recording & editing: Patrycja Rozwora; Mix & master: Jonas Kröper

Support or get in touch: https://linktr.ee/kitchenconversations