Cyprian Kamil Norwid, BENVENUTO CELLINI RETURNING FROM THE COLOSEUM, 1855

19,3 x 15,2cm - pen, sepia, paper

pen, sepia, paper, 19.3 × 15.2 cm (in light of passe-partout)

signed on the left: NORWID 1855

below along the edge dedication: To dear friend F. Mycielski | in memory of Teofil Lenartowicz | February 6, 1856, top inscription: Ma queste cose del'amore sono Vanita e pazzie



Image exhibited, mentioned and reproduced:

- Catalog of an exhibition of paintings by old painters, TPSP, Kraków 1909, item 37;

- Z. Przesmycki, Cypriana Norwida Pisma Zebrane, vol. A, Warsaw-Cracow 1911, illustration after p. 80 (pastedown), explanatory notes pp. 1078-1079;

- Photograph of the drawing from the collection of Z. Przesmycki, National Library, inv. no. F.137;

- J. Gomulicki, Cyprian Norwid: a guide to life and creativity, Warsaw 1976, pp. 312-315 (item 165), reproduced pp. 162-164;

- Cyprian Kamil Norwid Pisma wszystkie, vol. 11, Annexes, op. J. Gomulicki, Warsaw 1976, pp. 352-353;

- What kind of Norwid? Poznan Polish Studies. Literary Series IV (XXIV), Poznań 1997, ill. 7;

- J. Polanowska, Cyprian Norwid, in Słownik artystów polskich i obcych w Polsce działających (...), Volume 6, Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 1998, p. 142;

- Z. Trojanowiczowa, Z. Dambek, with co. J. Czarnomorska, Kalendarz życia i twórczości Cypriana Norwida, vol. I, Poznań 2007, p. 598;

- E. Chlebowska, "Please accept as is". - Norwid the visual artist in sztambuchu, in Norwid the artist. On the 125th anniversary of the poet's death, edited by K. Trybusia, W. Ratajczak, Z. Dambek, Poznań 2008, p. 206;

- Z. Dambek, Fragment of an unknown letter by Norwid from 1857. Around Norwid's translation of Capitolo fatto in prigione e lode di detta prigione Benvenuta Cellini, in Page Norwid. Studies and sketches offered to Professor Stefan Sawicki, ed. by P. Chlebowski, Wł. Toruń, E. Żwirkowska, E. Chlebowska, Lublin 2008, p. 70;

- A. Melbechowska-Luty, Sztukmistrz: artistic creativity and thought on art of Cyprian Norwid, Warsaw 2001, pp. 41, 366.

- E. Chlebowska, Cyprian Norwid: catalog of artistic works, T. VII, Lublin 2023, pp. 130-131, il.



Benvenuto Cellini describes in his memoirs how, using the services of a Sicilian priest-necromancer, he took part in "séances" to evoke unclean power in the Colosseum. This was because he wanted, with the help of demons, to meet the Sicilian Angelica again. The first séance, which lasted 1.5 hours, was attended by Cellini's friend Vincenzio Romoli and an adept of black magic from Pistoia, invited by the priest. The colosseum was filled with devils, but the necromancer informed Cellini that his wish would be granted only after the next séance, at which an innocent boy should be present. Cellini chose a 12-year-old journeyman, and also took Romoli with him again, as well as a mutual acquaintance - Agnolino Gaddi. During the second séance, the necromancer said that Cellini's wish would come true within a month. During the séance, the boy saw both devils and dead men. On the way back, he also claimed that two devils were walking in front of them, hence everyone tried to stay close to each other, especially the boy, who was between the necromancer, whom he held by his robe, and Cellini, whom he held by his cloak. The necromancer, meanwhile, was again trying to persuade Cellini to take part in another ritual. This time it was to be a ceremony for the dedication of a book that would make Cellini one of the richest men in the world; the evil spirits summoned with it would show the treasures hidden in the earth. Love affairs are vanity and folly that have no meaning - he tried to convince Cellini to abandon thoughts of Sicily and persuade him to seek wealth.

The title of the drawing, written in the poet's hand, is an inaccurate quotation from Cellini's diaries (Vita di Benvenuto Cellini scritta de lui medesimo, Firenze 1846, book 1, r. 13): Il negromante diceva (...), che queste cose d'amore si erano vanita e pazzie, le quali non rilevavano nulla. (The necromancer said (...) that these matters of love were vanity and folly, which have no meaning).

The drawing was created while Norwid was translating Cellini's well-known work Capitolo fatto in prigione. Both the painting and the manuscript were given by the author to Teofil Lenartowicz, whom he met in Paris in 1855. Lenartowicz in turn gave the manuscript to Edmund Bojanowski (through Father A. Prusinowski), and the drawing to Franciszek Mycielski (1832-1901). In turn, the latter passed it on to his son, Jerzy (1856-1928).

Cyprian Kamil Norwid (Laskowo-Głuchy k. Wyszkow 1821 - Paris 1883) - poet, playwright, art theorist
of art, painter, draughtsman and sculptor. He studied in Warsaw gymnasiums, and then in 1837-1839 at the private school of
of painting and drawing by Aleksander Kokular and (until 1842) in the studio of Jan K. Minasowicz. At the same time, he made his first attempts at
literary works. In 1842 he traveled to Munich, and later to Venice and Florence, where he further trained in painting and
sculpture. Later he stayed in Rome, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, In 1852 he went to New York for a longer period of time. He returned to Europe in
1854, first to London and from there to Paris, where he spent the rest of his life. From 1877 he lived at the St. Casimir's Convent in
Ivry, a suburb of Paris. He also died there. Norwid's little-known poetry and literary works, difficult and rather hermetic,
"discovered" only in the period of Young Poland, thanks to Zenon Przesmycki. His plastic works - drawings, watercolors,
oil paintings, graphic works - are characterized by a multiplicity of thematic themes - biblical scenes, scenes from the New Testament, compositions
historical and allegorical, portraits, illustrations to his own literary works, designs for tombstones, as well as genre scenes, often with a
grotesque, ironic expression. The artist's works can be found, among others, in the collections of Polish libraries (including BUW, Kórnik, Biblioteka
National Library, Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Ossolineum, Polish Library in Paris) and Museums (e.g. MNW, MNK, NNP).