„Przez Nieśwież, Mir, Załucze…”. Syrokomla jako kustosz pamiątek przeszłości w świetle listów poety do Kraszewskiego

Abstract

The article focuses on the collaboration between Władysław Syrokomla and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, who joined forces to save and commemorate mementos of the past, especially those represented by the pieces of Polish art in Lithuania. Both writers seen their pursuits as a cultivation of national identity and a patriotic duty. Based on source materials, the paper tells the story of their passionate commitment to the task of documenting the legacy of the land they loved and to the preservation of its heirloom. The narrative is maily built on unpublished letters exchanged between Syrokomla and Kraszewski and their literary works, memoirs and editorials. Although the article sheds some light on the history behind Kraszewski’s collection of artifacts, main focus is on Syrokomla: the way he collected and documented the paintings and his extensive emotional involvement. Emotional perception of Lithuanian landscape was particularly manifested in the interest both artist had in the works of Wincenty Dmochowski, a Vilnius-based landscapist.