Stanislaw Stefan Jackowski, "YOUTH," ca. 1926

61 x 19 cm — cast bronze, chiseled, patinated; base — marble

figure height: 61 cm, total height: 63.5 cm
signed on the base: Stanisław Jackowski

“Youth” is a unique work by Stanisław Jackowski—one of Warsaw’s most renowned sculptors of the interwar period. This composition belongs to an iconic series of sculptures initiated by the famous *Dancer* from 1924 (a monumental cast of which, made by the Łopieński Brothers, was installed in 1927 in the rose garden of Skaryszewski Park), representing one of the most recognizable and highly regarded achievements of Warsaw sculpture from the interwar period. A slender, young girl, in a pose full of lightness, grace, and rhythmic movement, with her shoulders gently raised and her head tilted back, is completely immersed in her own world of dance. The beauty of her figure is emphasized by a light tunic clinging to her body, whose fluidly sculpted folds create the effect of so-called “wet drapery,” a reference directly to Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic period and lending the composition the character of a refined, veiled nude (according to oral accounts, the artist’s daughter served as the model for the entire series).
Jackowski’s art from this period also gained recognition in France, where the artist lived and worked from 1923 to 1926. The entire series of sculptures—including *Youth* specifically—can be linked to the enthusiastic words of the French art critic André Pascal-Lévis, published on June 15, 1925, on the occasion of the opening of the Paris Salon, in which he expressed his admiration for *The Dancer*: “Movement, expression, absolute and unparalleled perfection. Only a few artists in history would have been capable of creating such a work.” I stood for hours in ecstasy before this beautiful figure, full of the charm of youth, grace, and expression. It embodies the entire psyche of a dancer—with her rhythm, her soaring spirit, and her adoration of movement and dance. The artist has created a fascinating symphony—a manifesto of his art, profound and exquisite (quoted from: Fragments of History. The Diary of Tadeusz Łopieński, published by Pracownia Sztuki Dekoracyjnej (formerly Bracia Łopieńscy), Warsaw 2021, p. 106).
The bronze sculpture on display is distinguished by its high level of craftsmanship—a high-quality cast, precise chiseling, and a refined patina. In Warsaw, Jackowski regularly collaborated with the Łopieńscy Brothers firm, which was responsible for the park casting of *The Dancer* as well as the official editions of the cabinet-sized reductions. However, the absence of their mark on the base, combined with the high standard of workmanship, suggests that this sculpture was created directly during the artist’s stay in France from 1923 to 1926. According to Tadeusz Łopieński’s account, the sculptor—who was garnering rave reviews in Paris—fulfilled commissions for small-scale sculptures from this series, entrusting their production to Parisian foundries, which makes the offered piece, *Youth*, a unique and highly prized collector’s item.

Provenance: the collection of Zbigniew Malewicz (Biłgoraj 1892–Warsaw 1979), a landowner and industrialist,
who, from 1924 onward, was the owner of the Przeździatka estate and the “Elżbietów” sugar refinery in Sokołów Podlaski.
Compare with: – Stanisław Jackowski. Sculptures, ed. Dr. S. Turczyński, Warsaw 1939, ill. XXV.

Stanisław Stefan Jackowski—a Polish sculptor and a student of Laszczka at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. He spent time in France on two occasions. Associated with Warsaw, he exhibited at the TZSP, where he held two solo exhibitions in 1913 and 1920. After the war, he settled in Katowice. He created portraits, allegorical and religious sculptures, tombstones (for B. Prus), and monuments. In Warsaw, his works that have survived include the Kiliński monument, the “Igraszki” fountain featuring an alligator on Dąbrowski Square, and “The Dancer” in Paderewski Park. He created several versions of the latter sculpture.