Was Norwid the „Colourist of Our Verse”? Some Remarks on Colour and Light in Cyprian Norwid's Quidam

Abstract

The author considers the question of „colourfulness” of Norwid's poetic images on the example of Quidam. He notes that students of Norwid have often remarked, albeit in rather general terms, on a feature linking his poetry and his pictorial art; this was his ability to combine Neo-Classicist and Romantic tendencies (traditionalism, linearity, ancient models vs. innovation and colour). The author seeks to identify the rules Norwid followed in constructing his „colourful” poetic images; he also tries to identify the most likely pictorial sources of those images. The analysis shows that Norwid constructed his images very capably and consistently by harnessing the effects of colour and light. Colour appears only in Norwid's representations of space (mostly interiors), which is shaped jointly by the two factors. As the author observes, this limited use of colour accords with the neo-Classicist theories, while the choice of colours, their combinations and their intensity derive from Romanticism. The study shows furthermore that Norwid's „handling” of colour and light approximated to that found in Baroque Venetian painting, which had served as a model for the Romanic colourists. The feature of Norwid's work studied here is yet another proof that he was well versed in art history and followed contemporary discussions on the subject.