The article contains a detailed description and a woodcut drawing of a tomb sculpture by W. Oleszczyński, intended for Śniadecka's grave in Vilnius. (Source: Tygodnik Illustrowany, Warsaw 1860, T:1, p. 333., after: Digital Library of the University of Łódź).

A modernised reading of the text

Sniadecka's tomb and the statue of the Virgin Mary made by W. Oleszczyński.

The objects of fine arts are no longer indifferent to the public. It is true that the interest they arouse is not yet sufficiently widespread; active support, which is the best indicator of the general public's liking for them, has so far shown only faint signs; a truly aesthetic judgement and a proper view of art are rare; nevertheless, however weak and insignificant these signs of liking are, their existence cannot be denied.

For our part, we do not condemn unreservedly, nor do we wonder superfluously at the little development of taste, the lack of drive towards such beautiful pursuits; many unfriendly circumstances influence this, hindering the good intentions of many who would willingly give proof of their sympathy. Besides, we suppose that the development of the fine arts has not hitherto been in the needs of the spirit of our country, because for a long time we had hardly any artists of our own, or at least their number was very limited: and in a nation artists, like poets, anticipate its ideas, progress, and drives.

The turn of the younger generation, so conspicuous, to the practice of the fine arts, in spite of the most unfavourable conditions for this, heralds the approach of the time when aesthetic passion must become universal; we believe, therefore, that the epoch of the development and blossoming of the fine arts in our country is not so distant as it may seem on the surface, and also that our artists will develop their own school, style, which are the natural result of a feeling and character different from others. After all, our poetry has long been distinguished by outstanding features from that of other nations, and consequently its other companions must also acquire their own distinctive characteristics which reflect a different spiritual refinement.

Therefore, without being unnecessarily saddened by the hitherto unsuccessful efforts of the workers in the artistic field, it should be the endeavour of people of good will to make every possible effort to encourage the general public to a noble love of art, and together to educate them where it should properly be sought, so that noble things, lofty in thought and beautiful in form, will find recognition and support. Our people, religious in spirit, serious, easily inflamed with all that is truly great, must turn their hearts to the objects of art whose content will be the qualities peculiar to them: thus they will love religiousness, solemnity, lofty deeds or great ideas; and this will happen all the more easily when these things, demanding by their nature finite beauty in conception, are also expressed in finite, aesthetic form. For this reason, artists should not be discouraged by the apparent coldness of the general public to paintings or sculptures of such content, nor should they flatter themselves with a superfluous taste for genericity ("genre"); on the contrary, they should strive to become deeply imbued with the need for ideal beauty and to express it in their works, in order to discover the unknown charms and beauties to those who were previously unable or unwilling to seek or find them.

We consider the manifestations of fondness for genericity to be transitory and short-lived, because our country has too many good instincts not to recognise sooner or later its inferiority in art and to celebrate that which has the mark of superiority and the right to an essential and permanent value. That genericity is temporary, temporal, this is most clearly felt in sculpture, to which it is the least befitting, and to which it is the least urged. A monument, a thing which by its very nature makes us think of the survival of time and changing storms, must have a long-lasting, incorruptible character, thus of absolute, eternal beauty, which is expressed by its spiritual side.

This is why we find distasteful any sculpture which tries to deviate from such a notion, where the external features aim to give the statues a kind of national, local character; this is why we consider all angels and robes, mazurkas or krakowiakas erected as monuments to be inappropriate, contrary to the nature of art and diminishing its meaning. That the emphasis of a proper nationality does not lie in the costume or the shaved hair, but in the more profound features, it is enough to cite Byron as proof, who, penetrating the spirit of the statue, guessed at the Slavs in the ancient Grinder, in the dying Gladiator, even though no symbols speak of this origin. The foregoing general remarks have come to our notice because, in speaking of the works whose drawings we present to our readers, we wished to give a general outline of our formation of ideas in this sphere, taking care that the first steps and progress in this sphere are guided in the right direction, so that our public may from the beginning perceive, seek and desire beauty.

The works we want to talk about are among the best that we have in the field of sculpture. Their author, P. Oleszczyński, having spent most of his life among the masterpieces of true masters, knew how to look at them and how to be sufficiently impressed by the beauty of art to allow the influence of good style and school to be reflected in his works. This alone recommends his compositions highly. The monument to Mrs Śniadecka's tomb consists of just one figure, an angel who, as a messenger dispensing supreme justice, descends on the tomb of the deceased to honour the acknowledged merits of her life full of Christian and civic virtues, and lowers the half-extended coffin (which will be below his feet), a wreath of immortelles, never withering flowers, to bear witness on earth to the high virtues of this exemplary woman, so that her memory may become an edifying example for the future.

With her right hand, she points beyond herself to the cross, which also spreads its protective arms over the grave, when it was an emblem, a support and a refuge in suffering for the deceased throughout her life. Here on earth he honours her memory, there, in the land beyond, he brings her eternal reward. The thought of the whole is explained clearly, distinctly; which is precisely what contributes to the sympathetic impression the whole makes. The execution and treatment itself is also like a composition with a higher, artistic notion completed. The movement of the figure is happy, with a serious dignity, as the action and the moment demand, and yet with a lightness corresponding to the figure of the angel; the draperies, beautifully cast, in conscientious preparation and devising, without concealing the general movement, give beautiful lines; the raised right hand is of exquisite drawing and modelling perfectly understood; even the wings of strange lightness and truth.

There is only one thing we come to regret: that this monument, which is so far in plaster, is to be cast in bronze. We do not know what reasons prompted the owners to make such a decision, but this must detract a great deal from its present beauty. Only marble, with its translucent whiteness, can express and enhance the overall effect; the marble whiteness, so compatible with the concept of angelicity, can only enhance the airy dignity with which the celestial exile stands on earth. This monument is to be erected in the vicinity of Vilnius, in the estate of the Śniadecki family. We must congratulate those parties on such a beautiful acquisition.

The second statue, of which we also give a drawing here (ob. p. 336), was recently placed in the Gothic chapel of the Capuchin church in Lublin. "I am indebted to Father Prokop, the provincial of the same congregation, for his efforts in the real beautification of the church; for it was thanks to his efforts that a beautiful chapel in the Gothic style was erected, the altar of which is mainly adorned with a statue of the Blessed Virgin carved in stone and four bas-reliefs, also in stone, depicting: 1) the citizens of Lublin placing the city under the protection of the Queen of Heaven; 2) the conversion of the thief crucified with Christ; 3) Magdalene repenting and 4) the prodigal son returning to his father's bosom.

Subjects appropriately chosen for a place under the invocation of divine mercy, unceasing always for those who seek consolation and forgiveness. The very figure of the Blessed Virgin, rising above these bas-reliefs, is full of the expression of pure divinity and heavenly grace. She holds in her hand a burning heart, as a symbol of inexhaustible love and mercy, a source to which all human hearts, eternally thirsting for solace, never cease to turn - and which she, the Virgin, is ready to open for those who sincerely love her, so that in it they may find the only relief and peace after the sufferings of life. Looking at this statue from an artistic point of view, one has to give considerable credit to Mr Oleszczyński for managing to successfully overcome the difficult task of applying inspiration to the requirements of the separate Gothic style. He was able to give it the soaring slenderness required in such a case, and at the same time enough softness and allure.

After the usual greetings, one of them asked, looking around:
- And where is the orchestra?
- What do you mean the orchestra? - we replied in surprise.
- And of course, you can't imagine Varsovians going anywhere without an orchestra. Music has already become so incarnated in you that it is a necessary part of your life. Nothing, I can assure you, if any of you comes here with the intention of giving concerts, but he may well stay with the intention, for we shall not listen to him, for we have too much to see here.

And the Cracovian was not mistaken, as even in Ojców there were several orchestras, two of them local, and there was plenty at the concert, too, as some young artist, whose name I have forgotten, played the piano. Apparently it was the Varsovians who brought this musical atmosphere there with them.

The competitions continue to prosper. One of the distinguished local writers was sent 4 000 zlotys in a letter, with the intention of appropriating this sum, which is considerably greater than the previous prizes, to a new competition, the terms of which are indicated in more detail in the letter. This time, however, it is no longer a dramatic work, as we have heard, but a poetic work of an entirely different kind. We are not authorised to indicate any further details, nor to mention the name of the writer to whom this sum has been entrusted, who is not at present in Warsaw.

Doubtless upon his return, if he accepts this new burden placed upon him, he will announce in public writings the terms of the competition and the subject and content of the works to be submitted for the prize; for the content itself is apparently already marked out, which, in our opinion, makes the task very difficult. Meanwhile, let us rejoice in the conviction that the cause of our literature is finding more and more people willing to support it by all possible means. Thus, even if the result does not fully correspond to the efforts, goodwill is always a very comforting sign. We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the competition for a play, the terms of which were to be announced in the Czas Krakowski. So far we have not read any mention of it, and yet the time is ripe if the competition, as originally intended by the première, is to be judged before the new year.

Our scene valiantly fights the unfriendly season with novelty and even often wins. One such triumph over strolls, gardens and the June air was "Jairnufa", a well-known poem by Kniaźnin, to which Moniuszko added music. I will only say this about the poem that when, a dozen or so years ago, after a long dormant period for writing, young people in our country who had taken up the pen once again, and who had become fanatical about the works of the Lithuanian school, condemned ruthlessly all the symptoms of the so-called classical period of Stanislavsky, Kniazin's "Gypsies" were still counted among the few exceptions that were generally acclaimed.

Such justice, done by the fiercest of literary opponents, is more important than any praise today. Moniuszko has perfectly captured the spirit of the libretto; this Cracovian-Gypsy music, these two so different elements joined together, make a great impression. The thing is not in size or scope, but in the working out of its purpose; 'Javnuta' is for our composer a rest from more serious works, for which we eagerly await. At the Teatr Rozmaitości, a change of direction of comedies has taken over from Mr Chęciński. The first fruit of this directing is the acessitic comedy 'Po natcemu', announced these days.

Miss Zawiszanka performed in Lviv with great success. A lucky star has guided the young singer in her artistic journey: Krakow has raised her talent, in Lviv she is now being received with no less enthusiasm. She is now reportedly going to Pest. Miss Plodowska is playing in Paris, and assures us that she has been engaged at the Berlin Opera, with a salary of four thousand francs (1,000 rs.) a month, for the duration of Queen Victoria of England's stay in that city. This is yet another statement of the already acknowledged truth that all talents are better appreciated abroad than at home.

Yet our opera, deprived of a first-rate singer due to Miss Rivoli's weakness, would find great merit in one of these artists. Having among our countrywomen so many beautiful talents, we are free not to fall into the dryness which characterises Gothic figures in general, without, however, departing in general lines from the characteristics proper to the style. We are glad that ancient Lublin, long pious, as many of its churches testify, and still attentive to the glory of God, knows how to choose the means of expressing it; that, knowing that the most beautiful, most impressive ornament of the Lord's temples are things conceived from the spirit, from a higher inspiration, it decorates with them the sanctuaries consecrated to God, so that they bear witness to the development of religiousness and pious fervour. May God grant that this good example be reflected and imitated everywhere.