kossak square

Kossak Square requires a redefinition of its identity and character—one built on respect for history, its surroundings, and tradition. The square should become an extension of the Kossakówka Manor—just as the villa once was a vibrant meeting place for the people of Kraków, so today the square should fulfill that role. “He was a painter of the Polish countryside, that countryside where on the field ridges ‘silent pear trees sit’, and from which came all that was virtue and crime, greatness and smallness, glory and shame—what lived in a way unique, different from the rest of the world in both substance and form, what constitutes the very core and essence of Polish life.” — Stanisław Witkiewicz, “Juliusz Kossak”, 1912 In the paintings of Juliusz Kossak, we find not only a record of Poland’s history, but above all, the preservation of the landscapes of Polish villages, meadows, and forests. It is the background and second plane that serve as a document commemorating a panorama increasingly rare, yet deeply rooted in our national consciousness. The Kossak Square project offers a unique opportunity to restore this romantic landscape to the people of Kraków and to honor the artist’s legacy.