13 March 1921, Sunday 10 am

Borysław. Opening of the first individual exhibition of Bruno Schulz’s works at the premises of the Union of Polish Drilling and Oil Technicians at Kościuszki St. 82.

The event is organised by the Educational Section of the Union of Oil Officials1. Michał Friedländer*2, later a prominent educator and publicist, working in Borysław at the time as a clerk and engaging there in educational activities, takes the floor during the opening of the exhibition; he is then followed as a speaker by Stanisław Weingarten*3.

The exhibition includes a number of Schulz’s works. The dominant theme is that of a woman whose desire is to “subdue a man and make him throw himself at her feet”4 (the visitors are the most impressed, a critic describing the exhibition claims*, by Circe in watercolour). Other exhibits include women’s portraits, a painting depicting “the atelier of the artist decorated with great splendour” and the artist himself at the moment he “is ending his sitting”, as well as the composition Spring Awakening, which is described in the following way: “The Art Nouveau school. Several boy characters. Emanating unconscious languor”5. It must be this last picture that makes the reviewer list Frank Wedekind among Schulz’s inspirations, alongside the names of Goya*, Rops*, and Klinger, invoked later in this context. The artistic technique of most of the exhibited works is unknown; beside Circe – made in watercolor – the critic mentions a “pastel feminine portrait”; however, it is unknown whether the adjective refers to the technique or to the color scheme. (um) (transl. mw)

See also: exhibitions until 1942. 

  • 1
    [„Sekcja oświatowa…”], Świt. Organ urzędników naftowych w Borysławiu 1921, no. 4, pp. 6–7 (“Culture and Education” section); E. Menar [Adolf Bienenstock (?)], „Sztuki graficzne. (Z okazji odbyć się mającej wystawy grafiki oryginalnej w Borysławiu)”, Świt. Organ urzędników naftowych w Borysławiu 1921, no. 5, pp. 2–4; S. N-owa [Michał Friedländer], [„Wystawa prac graficznych młodego artysty p. Brunona Schulza…”], Świt. Organ urzędników naftowych w Borysławiu 1921, no. 5, p. 7 (“Culture and Education” section). Courtesy of researchers from Ukraine, see: Богдан Лазорак, Леонід Тимошенко, Леся Хомич, Ігор Чава, Відомий і невідомий Бруно Шульц (соціокультурний портрет Дрогобича), наукова редакція Леоніда Тимошенка, Дрогобич 2016, p. 156; Łesia Chomycz, „Wokół wystawy w Borysławiu. O dwóch debiutach Brunona Schulza”, Schulz/Forum 2019, no.14, pp. 13–32. The address of the Union of Polish Drilling and Oil Technicians after: Turysta w zagłębiu naftowem. Krajoznawstwo, turystyka górska letnia i zimowa, ed. Józef Wojnar, Borysław [1936?], p. 20.
  • 2
    As indicated in a passage of text signed with his pen-name Al. Stewe (Steve), describing the exhibition* in Drogobych (“Z wystawy obrazów”, Świt. Organ urzędników naftowych w Borysławiu 1921, no. 11, pp. 6–7), he also authored articles about Schulz’s exhibition in Boryslav, signed with “S. N-owa” (see: footnote 1 and 4).
  • 3
    Богдан Лазорак, Леонід Тимошенко, Леся Хомич, Ігор Чава, op. cit., pp. 159–160.
  • 4
    S. N-owa [Michał Friedländer], „Wrażenia z wystawy. (Wystawa obrazów Schulza)”, Świt. Organ urzędników naftowych w Borysławiu 1921, no. 6, pp. 2–3; after: Богдан Лазорак, Леонід Тимошенко, Леся Хомич, Ігор Чава, op. cit., pp. 226–227.
  • 5
    Ibidem.