31 May – 30 November 2025
Curators of the exhibition: Dr. Hab. Piotr Oszczanowski, Dr. Aurelia Zduńczyk
This is the first ever exhibition organised in the historic region of Silesia presenting the manifested fascination with art created by Peter Paul Rubens, the brilliant Flemish Baroque artist.
The research on the perception of Ruben’s work has been conducted for number of years but so far it has proved impossible to assemble and analyse, in a comprehensive and coherent way, all the traces of the popularity of the great artist, whose unbridled imagination changed the face of art not just in Europe but also in other parts of the world.
Following some years of research and inquiries conducted in archives, historic and regional records, it appears that in the region of historic Silesia, the fascination with works of art created by the most eminent Baroque painter has been traced in hundreds or even thousands of works of art and artistic crafts. Starting from a particular ‘jewel in the crown’ such as a painting by Rubens in a private collection in Silesia, drawings and engravings created in Antwerp by students engaged in the artist’s studio, copies and imitations of the original paintings, these examples are scattered throughout public and private collections, libraries, church inventories, and among various objects d’art – textiles, chalices, decorative dishes, etc.
Along with the surviving records which document the lost/perished works, they represent a fascinating and varied landscape confirming the unprecedented force of the impact of Rubens’ work in Silesia. The exhibition comprises items from the MNWr collection, as well as relevant exhibits on loan from other museums and property of the Church. There are also works from international art collections not shown previously in Poland, which further confirm the strength of the influence exercised by paintings and drawings of the master from Antwerp both on Silesian artists and those active in Silesia.
The exhibition takes place on the 385th anniversary of the death of Peter Paul Rubens. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue.