Forest
Little is known about Kołtonowski and his artistic background before arriving in Britain after the war. He kept this powerful and haunting drawing with him, rolled up, and worked on it continuously during his epic fourteen year journey from Soviet-imposed exile to Lebanon, between 1931-1945, as the inscription in the lower left attests. This depiction of the dark forest, a familiar symbol from Polish and Russian folklore, and its inscription, form a potent reminder of thousands of similar journeys undertaken by thousands of other Poles returning from exile. Eventually settling in Leicester, Kołtonowski bequeathed his entire artistic output, including a series of prints in which he developed a technique whereby white marks stand out from a black ground, to the Library at POSK. His forest imagery appears to be strongly influenced by the popular Russian nineteenth century painter, Ivan Shishkin (1832-98), associated with the Peredvizhniki movement, known for his forest-scapes.
1931-1945
Charcoal and pencil on paper
110.0 x 90.0cm
Images and text © Ben Uri collection, 2017