Z Parasolką Po Parku - Jesień 

Teodor Axentowicz made this pastel drawing of a fashionable woman in a park. The medium of pastel allows for a direct, almost tactile engagement with the surface. Unlike oil paint, which requires brushes and solvents, pastel sticks are pure pigment held together by a binder. Axentowicz used this to his advantage, creating a soft, velvety texture that captures the ephemeral quality of light and atmosphere. Look closely, and you’ll see how the strokes of pastel create subtle gradations of color, suggesting the play of light on the woman's black dress and the surrounding landscape. The black dress itself speaks volumes about the social context. It is a product of industrial manufacturing and global trade networks. It also signifies the sitter's status and access to consumer goods. Ultimately, the apparent ease of Axentowicz's pastel belies the complex social and material relationships embedded within the artwork. By attending to these details, we can gain a deeper understanding of both the artist's skill and the world in which he lived.