The National Museum in Warsaw is most often associated with the paintings of Jan Matejko, the Faras frescoes, or Gothic altarpieces. Yet its collection also tells the story of everyday life – of art that did not always appear on canvas but shaped the spaces of homes and apartments. The best example of this is the Gallery of Polish Design, the first permanent exhibition in Poland devoted to the history of design. It offers a unique opportunity to see how tastes, materials, and functional forms have evolved from the early 20th century to the present day.
History and Significance of the Gallery of Polish Design
The gallery was opened in 2017 and immediately earned the reputation of being groundbreaking. Previously, Polish design had only been presented occasionally in temporary exhibitions, but there was no place where its development could be permanently traced. The National Museum filled this gap by creating a space that not only collects everyday objects but also tells the story of their creation and role within social and economic realities.
The exhibition was conceived to present design as an art form on par with painting or sculpture. Here, visitors can see both mass-produced projects that found their way into millions of homes and unique works created by outstanding artists and designers.
What Can Be Seen in the Gallery?
The Gallery of Polish Design is a journey through the entire 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Visitors will find:
Furniture and interior design projects – from interwar modernist designs to icons of Polish design from the 1950s and 1960s, such as Rajmund Hałas’s chairs, Teresa Kruszewska’s “Shell” armchairs, or Henryk Lis’s “Lisek” armchair.
Ceramics and porcelain – unique sets from the factories in Ćmielów and Chodzież, designed by creators such as Lubomir Tomaszewski, Danuta Duszniak, and Hanna Orthwein. Their geometric, modern forms became the hallmark of Polish design in the 1960s and 1970s.
Artistic glass – works from glassworks in Krosno and other centers, combining functionality with artistic imagination.
Textiles and industrial patterns – from carpet and kilim designs to decorative fabrics from the communist era, which are now coming back into fashion.
Contemporary design – 21st-century projects such as innovative modular furniture, lamps, and everyday objects that have won awards in international competitions.
Thanks to this diversity, the Gallery demonstrates that applied arts play a crucial role in shaping our culture and lifestyle.
Design and Other Galleries of the National Museum
Although the Gallery of Polish Design is a relatively recent addition to the exhibition, it perfectly fits into the broader context of the National Museum’s collections. While exploring the museum, visitors can see how different eras and artistic disciplines complement one another.
The Gallery of 19th-Century Art – filled with the works of Matejko, Chełmoński, and Gierymski – shows how painters shaped the vision of national history and culture. Placing monumental canvases side by side with the simplicity and functionality of 20th-century furniture or ceramics creates a fascinating contrast and reveals the many faces of Polish art.
The Faras Gallery – transports visitors to an entirely different world: the art of Nubian Christianity, saved from being submerged by the waters of the Nile. It reveals how religious design and early Christian architecture differed from contemporary everyday objects.
The Gallery of Medieval Art – filled with Gothic winged altars and sacred sculptures – presents the spirituality of the Middle Ages. Juxtaposing them with modernist projects of the 20th century allows one to see how art has transformed its functions – from exclusively religious to everyday and utilitarian.
The Gallery of Ancient Art – with sarcophagi, jewelry, and sculptures from Egypt, Greece, and Rome – illustrates the very foundations of European culture. It shows how, for thousands of years, people have combined functionality with aesthetics, a tradition that contemporary design continues today.
In this way, the National Museum in Warsaw presents art as a wide spectrum – from monumental works of painting and sculpture to subtle designs of everyday objects. Each gallery tells a different part of the same story: about humanity’s need to create beauty and order in the surrounding world.
Temporary Exhibitions – The Example of Chełmoński
Alongside its permanent displays, the National Museum also hosts temporary exhibitions. One of the most important in recent years was the exhibition dedicated to the works of Józef Chełmoński. His famous Indian Summer (Babie lato) and The Four-in-Hand (Czwórka) drew crowds of visitors and reminded audiences that the National Museum continually combines tradition with modernity, offering not only permanent collections but also events that become cultural highlights of Warsaw.
Why Visit the Gallery of Polish Design?
- It is the first permanent exhibition in Poland dedicated to design.
- It shows how Polish tastes have evolved and how everyday objects became works of art.
- It features icons of Polish design – from Hałas’s chairs to porcelain sets by Tomaszewski and Duszniak.
- It is an excellent complement to other galleries – from antiquity to 19th-century painting.
- It reveals that art is not only paintings or sculptures, but also the objects that surround us every day.
Summary
The Gallery of Polish Design at the National Museum in Warsaw is an extraordinary space where everyday objects are elevated to the status of works of art. From modernist projects of the interwar period, through bold experiments of the communist era, to contemporary solutions of the 21st century – together they create a fascinating story of Poland’s material culture.
When visiting the National Museum, it is worth stopping here to discover that art does not end with paintings and sculptures – it also lives in porcelain, textiles, and furniture that have shaped the everyday life of Poles over the past hundred years.