Sztuka żydowska w świetle krytyki artystycznej dwudziestolecia międzywojennego
Jewish Art in the Mirror of the Interwar Art Criticism

Summary/Abstract: This paper discusses the notion of Jewish art in Poland in the interwar period. Although in the Jewish cultural milieu discussion of how to define Jewish art started at the beginning of 20th century, Polish art critics realized the very existence of Jewish art as an independent phenomenon only in the late twenties. The first part of the article analyses the reviews of the Spring Salon of the Jewish Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts [Polish abbr. ŻTKSP], opened in Warsaw in May 1928. The Spring Salon is a good illustration of the diverse approaches to the idea of Jewish art as well as of the participation of Jewish artists in Polish art. The subsequent part of the article concludes that for the Jewish cultural circles in interwar Poland the most important goal was not to formulate a definition of Jewish art but to question how Jewish art manifests itself as an expression of national culture. All associations dealing with Jewish art, including the largest and most important Jewish artistic exhibitive institution in the interwar period – the Jewish Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in Warsaw – advocated as their central objective popularising and strengthening Jewish art (without defining it) and providing support to Jewish artists in their fight for existence and free artistic development.

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