Museum of John Paul II Collection
{{Short description|Art museum in Warsaw, Poland}}
{{Infobox Museum
|name = Museum of John Paul II Collection
|image = Budynek Kolekcji Porczynskich.jpg
|imagesize = 200
|caption = Building of the former stock exchange
|map_type = Poland Warsaw central
|map_caption = Location within the city of Warsaw
|map_size = 300
|established = 1989
|location = 1 Bank Square
Warsaw, Poland
|type =
|director =
|curator =
|visitors =
|publictransit = {{rint|warsaw|M1}} {{stl|Warsaw Metro|Ratusz Arsenal}}
|website = {{URL|http://mkjp2.pl/|mkjp2.pl}}
}}
The Museum of John Paul II Collection ({{langx|pl|Muzeum Kolekcji im. Jana Pawła II}}) in Warsaw, also known as the Porczyński Gallery or Carroll-Porczyński Collection, is a museum dedicated to its painting collection, which is housed in the building of the former stock exchange and Bank of Poland.{{cite book |author=Neal Bedford |title=Poland |year=2008 |page=94|publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-74104-479-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qe3UzP5I2vsC&q=porczynski+stock+exchange&pg=PA94 }} The collection includes around 400 exhibits, copies of masterpieces of European painting.{{cite book |author1=Mark Salter |author2=Jonathan Bousfield |title=Poland |year=2002 |pages=105–106|publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=1-85828-849-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YgQ0B1CNYfQC&q=Kolekcja+im.+Jana+Paw%C5%82a+II&pg=PA105 }}
History
File:Pope John Paul II with Janina and Zbigniew Karol Porczynski.jpg
Zbigniew and Janina Porczyński have been amassing the collection since 1981. In the first three years, the couple concentrated on adding paintings with biblical themes but later portraits and impressionistic works were added. In 1986 the couple transferred about 400 exhibits to the Archdiocese of Warsaw and the Polish nation and created a foundation to supervise the collection.{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.muzeummalarstwa.pl/history.htm |work=www.muzeummalarstwa.pl |accessdate=23 January 2013 |quote=In 1986, Janina and Zbigniew Carroll-Porczynski donated a rich collection of Western European art, amounting to almost 400 paintings and sculptures which had been assembled over many years, to the Church and the Nation. (...) From its very beginning until the present time, the Museum was and is maintained from funds donated to Fundacja Arteks.}} The first part of the collection was displayed publicly on 5 November 1987 at the Museum of the Warsaw archdiocese (Muzeum Archidiecezji Warszawskiej) at Solec Street.{{cite book |author=Mieczysław Morka |title=Kolekcja im. Jana Pawła II, Kompromitacja kościoła i państwa |year=1999 |pages=105–106 |publisher=Agencja Wydawnicza Il Libro |isbn=83-87761-17-6 |url=http://www.zabytki.pl/sources/literatura/morka/kolekcja.html |access-date=2013-01-23 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073007/http://www.zabytki.pl/sources/literatura/morka/kolekcja.html |url-status=dead }} The second part was displayed from 14 September to 30 December 1988.
In 1989 the beneficiaries of the foundation, the Primate of Poland and the Polish Arts and Culture Ministry, decided to create a museum to provide a permanent display of the collection.{{cite web |author=Bronisław Tumiłowicz |title=Sztuka i bezprawie |url=http://www.wprost.pl/ar/86062/Pralnia-plocien/?I=1206 |work=Przegląd 35/2003 |date=22 January 2006 |accessdate=23 January 2013 }} The city of Warsaw provided the collection with a permanent home in a building designed by Antonio Corazzi in 1825 - the former stock exchange rebuilt after the Second World War destruction.
Criticism
Since 1987 various art experts put in doubt the authenticity of many important works in the collection. The Polish art historians Mieczysław Morka and Waldemar Łysiak contributed several times to this criticism.{{cite book |author=Waldemar Łysiak |title=Rzeczpospolita klamcow Salon |year=2004 |page=324|publisher=Wydawnictwo Nobilis |isbn=83-917612-5-8}} A painting signed by Alfred Sisley (River landscape) is a forgery by Tom Keating.{{cite web |author=Łukasz Radwan|title=Pralnia płócien |url=http://www.wprost.pl/ar/86062/Pralnia-plocien/?I=1206 |work=Wprost 3/2006 (1206)|date=22 January 2006 |accessdate=23 January 2013 |quote=W Muzeum Kolekcji im. Jana Pawła II (Fundacja Janiny i Zbigniewa Porczyńskich) znajduje się np. falsyfikat "Pejzażu rzecznego" Toma Keatinga, który muzeum eksponowało jako arcydzieło Alfreda Sisleya. Tyle że wcześniej Keating na oczach widzów w programie telewizyjnym przyznał się do fałszerstwa.}}
Apart from forgery allegations and unclear financing of the foundation by the public sector, some other activities of the foundation were criticized (the organization of commercial events in the museum premises).
Collection
The collection is displayed in eight rooms and arranged thematically: Impressionists, mythology and allegory, portraits and self-portraits (in the two-story hall "Rotunda"), mothers and children, effigies of the Madonna and Child, biblical themes, still lifes and landscapes (in the gallery) and a room dedicated to the monumental painting Baptism of Lithuania (1889) by Wojciech Gerson.
The majority of the collection consists of works by British, Dutch, Early Netherlandish, Flemish, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swiss Old Masters, their pupils and followers. Among the artists represented are Paris Bordone, Cornelis van Haarlem, José de Ribera, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh and a significant collection of paintings by Swiss painter Fritz Zuber-Bühler.
Sculpture is represented with bronze casts of Jupiter and the eagle by Julien Dillens, the Head of Saint John the Baptist by Auguste Rodin and the Unicorn by Salvador Dalí.{{cite web |title=Museum of John Paul II Collection (Muzeum Kolekcji im. Jana Pawła II) |url=https://www.inyourpocket.com/warsaw/museum-of-john-paul-ii-collection_36263v |work=www.inyourpocket.com |accessdate=12 November 2017 |quote=Their collection is now housed in the historical Bank of Poland building and includes a unicorn sculpture by Salvador Dali, a painting of Renoir’s son Pierre, an idyllic farm scene by Van Gogh, the head of John the Baptist by Rodin.}}
File:Van Gogh Farm in Hoogeveen.jpg|Farmhouses Among Trees (1883), Vincent van Gogh
File:Renoir Cauliflower and pomegranates.jpg|Cauliflower and Pomegranates (c. 1890), Pierre-Auguste RenoirOne of the most valuable and undisputed paintings in the collection, originally in the collection of Galerie Nichido in Tokyo. {{cite book |author1=Janusz Miliszkiewicz |author2=Mieczysław Morka |author3=Andrzej Borkowski |title=Kolekcja Porczyńskich-genialne oszustwo? |year=1993 |page=244 |publisher=Polska Oficyna Wydawnicza "BGW" |isbn=83-7066-548-9}}
File:Dürer Virgin and Child.jpg|Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, Albrecht Dürer
File:Pontormo Virgin and Child.jpg|Virgin and Child, Jacopo Pontormo
File:Bordone Daphnis and Chloe.jpg|Daphnis and Chloe, Paris Bordone
File:Haarlem Nailing to the Cross.jpg|Nailing to the Cross, Cornelis van Haarlem
File:Vos Portrait of mother and daughter.JPG|Portrait of Mother and Daughter, Cornelis de Vos
File:Ribera Philosopher.jpg|A Philosopher, José de Ribera
File:Constable Donkeys in the stable.JPG|Donkeys in the Stable, John Constable
File:Gerome Egyptian water carrier.jpg|Egyptian Water Carrier, Jean-Léon Gérôme
File:Bouguereau Venus and Cupid.jpg|Venus and Cupid, William-Adolphe Bouguereau
File:Garreta Girl in pink dress.jpg|Portrait of a Young Girl in Pink Dress, Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat-inline|Porczyński Gallery}}
{{coord|52|14|32|N|21|0|08|E|region:PL-MZ_type:landmark_source:PLwiki|display=title}}
{{Museums in Warsaw}}
{{John Paul II}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:John Paul Ii Collection Museum}}
Category:Art museums and galleries in Warsaw
Category:Art museums and galleries established in 1989
Category:1989 establishments in Poland