The Old Town

Today in DailyArt, we are putting the spotlight on a woodcut by Aniela Cukierówna stored in the collection of the Jewish Historical Institute. The Warsaw Old Town most likely dates to sometime before 1933. It is exemplary of Cukierówna’s favorite themes in art—landscapes and cityscapes. The artist would often emphasize the presence of nature in her works, even those depicting typically urban spaces.

For centuries, Warsaw’s Old Town had been the economic, cultural, and administrative heart of the city. It was home to some of the most influential, wealthy families and the workplace of municipal councillors, local governors, and mayors of Old Warsaw. After World War II, the Old Town became one of the greatest symbols of the city’s reconstruction. Out of all 260 pre-war tenement buildings, only six survived the war. The materials used during the reconstruction works included original decorative elements recovered from the rubble and preserved depictions of the Polish capital, including vedute and cityscapes. The Old Town continues to be one of the most popular sites among tourists visiting Warsaw.

During the war, Cukierówna found shelter in the capital. Even though she obtained “Aryan papers,” disastrous living conditions led to her premature death in 1944. Her artistic output, too, met a tragic fate—most of her works were consumed by flames during the Warsaw Uprising. Contemporary art aficionados will thus be even more excited to see the few extant pieces by Cukierówna; three of them are available to view at the Delet portal.

P.S. Here you will find ten National Museum in Warsaw highlights you need to know!