MARIAN OLKULICZ AND THE AUTHOR OF THE SERIES
"Royal Series" by Ewa Olszewska-Borys
MARIAN OLKULICZ AND THE AUTHOR OF THE SERIES
The “Royal Series” designed by Ewa Olszewska-Borys was emitted in 1985-2003 upon the initiative of the Koszalin Branch of the Polish Numismatic Society (former- Polish Archeological and Numismatic Society). The decision of the issue of the medals was the idea of Marian Okulicz, the president of the Koszalin Branch. The series is composed of 43 medals (70 mm), struck in tombac, silver-plated and patina versions, and in finest silver. The number of some of the medals from the series exceeded 3000 copies and they are still sought by collectors.
The obverses of the medals depicting the royal portraits were based on the “Gallery of Kings and Dukes” drawn by Jan Matejko, the great Polish nineteenth-century historical painter. These portraits appear in an illusive, spatial relief, typical for the author. An equally spatial treatment, symptomatic for sculpture, was applied in the case of architecture, visible on the reverses, usually sacral and historically associated with a given ruler or originating from the time of his reign. In the case of Ewa Olszewska-Borys we are dealing with an attempted “direct transposition”, i.e., a transference of the Matejko vision into the world of spatial forms in such a manner so as not to lose the value of the work, its expression, or the psychological veracity of the portraits. The artist makes full use of her workshop and the opportunities provided by minting techniques, including a patina, which rubbed in, remains in the indentations. In this way, the relief of the medal, enhanced with qualities characteristic for painting, becomes closer to the original.
Ewa Olszewska-Borys spent eighteen years working on a royal portrait gallery, executing successively two or three medals annually. The series is artistically cohesive and authentic owing to the fact that was created in a natural manner, parallel to the other works of the author, and in accordance with her own sculpture vision, stemming from a perception of space, included into the arrangement of forms and endowed with a concrete, material shape.
The iconographic material at the disposal of the artist constituted a pretext for new creative guests. In the case too, the subject matter, albeit suggested from the outside, was inspiring for two reasons: it concerned a portrait, which for long has remained within the sphere of the author’s interest, as well as architecture, fascinating not only due to the solid itself but also owing to its relations with surrounding space. Sculpting the magnificent figures of historical rulers, brought to life by the talent of Master Matejko, and portrayed on medals jewels of the Polish Romanesque, Gothic or Renaissance style was an unusual adventure for Ewa Olszewska-Borys, and one which enriched her creative workshop.
The list of the medals from the “Royal Series”
Obverse ( 01) Reverse ( 02)
1 Mieszko I Dobrawa
2. Boleslaw I Chrobry The coronation sword
3. Mieszko II Rycheza
4. Kazimierz I Odnowiciel The abbey of the Benedictine in Tyniec
5. Boleslaw II Smialy The rotund of St. Nicholas in Cieszyn
6 . Wladyslaw I Herman The crypt of St.Leonard in Wawel- Cracow
7. Boleslaw III Krzywousty The church of St. Idzi in Inowlodz
8. Wladyslaw II Wygnaniec The church of St. Andreas in Cracow
9. Boleslaw IV Kedzierzawy The cathedral church in Leczyca
10. Mieszko III Stary The collegiate church of St. Peter in Kruszwica
11. Kazimierz II Sprawiedliwy The church of St. Prokop in Strzelin
12. Leszek Bialy The abbey of the Cistercian order in Sulejow
13. Wladyslaw Laskonogi The church of St. Nicholas in Wysocice
14. Henryk I Brodaty The church of the Cistercian convent in Trzebnica
15. Konrad I Mazowiecki The church in Skalbmierz
16. Boleslaw V Wstydliwy The church of the Franciscan order in Cracow
17. Leszek Czarny The “Florian Gate” in Cracow
18. Przemysl II The cathedral church in Gniezno
19. Waclaw II The church of the St. Cross in Wroclaw
20. Wladyslaw I Lokietek The cathedral church in Wawel in Cracow
21. Kazimierz III Wielki The collegiate church in Wislica
22. Ludwik Wegierski The church of the Corpus Christi in Cracow
23. Jadwiga The church of the Shod Carmelites in Cracow
24. Wladyslaw II Jagiello The post-Visitants church in Lublin
25. Wladyslaw III Warnenczyk The parish church in Piotrawina
26. Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk The St. Mary church in Gdansk
27. Jan Olbracht The church of St. Johns in Torun
28. Aleksander The church of St. Anna in Vilno
29. Zygmunt I Stary The „Hens Foot” of the Wawel castle in Cracow
30. Zygmunt II August The front door of the castle in Niepolomice
31. Henryk Walezy The church of the Bernardine order in Bydgoszcz
32. Anna Jagiellonka The part of the “Zygmunt Chapel” in Wawel
33. Stefan Batory The parish church called“Vitolds Church” in Grodno
34. Zygmunt III Waza The church of St.Mary of Mercy in Warsaw
35. Wladyslaw IV The cathedral church in Lvov
36. Jan Kazimierz The Cameldolite order on the Wigry Lake
37. Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki The church in Wisniowiec
38. Jan III Sobieski The church of the Capuchins in Warsaw
39. August II Mocny The church of the Paulinian order in Warsaw
40. Stanislaw Leszczynski The front of the Dominican monastery in Tarnobrzeg
41. August III The church of the Visitants convent in Warsaw
42. Stanislaw August Poniatowski The chapel of the Holy Trinity in Wolczyn
43. Jan Matejko (painter) Marian Okulicz and the author of the series
HOME
To see the large picture of the medal- "click" on the
small one.
Please wait a moment, until the pictures have been loaded !
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Wladyslaw III Warnenczyk
|
Kazimierz Jagiellonzyk
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Jan Olbracht
|
Aleksander
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Zygmunt I Stary
|
Zygmunt II August
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Henryk Walezy
|
Anna Jagiellonka
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Stefan Batory
|
Zygmunt III Waza
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Wladyslaw IV
|
Jan Kazimierz
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki
|
Jan III Sobieski
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
August II Mocny
|
Stanislaw Leszcynski
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
August III
|
Stanislaw August Poniatowski
|
||
 |
|
||
|
Jan Matejko (painter)
|
Marian Okulicz and the author of the
series
|
||
| HOME |
