Jacek Malczewski, “Polish Hamlet (Portrait of Aleksander Wielopolski)”, 1903, Oil on Canvas, 100 x 148 cm, National Museum, Warsaw, Poland
One of the most famous works of Jacek Malczweski, this painting presents Malczewski’s grandson as Aleksander Wielopolski, a member of the Polish Kingdom government in the early 1860s, standing with two allegorical visions of the fate of the Polish nation. The figure is located in the center of the composition, surrounded by two women. He is dressed in yellow-green dress and belted pouch, in which instead of bullets are tubes of paint, and he thoughtfully pulls on the petals of chamomile.
Located to the right is an elderly woman with white hair, dressed in dark robes, her hands cuffed with shackles. Her face takes on an expression of sadness, despair and awareness of her situation. She embodies Poland enslaved, experienced by fate, remaining under the yoke of others, and who can not be liberated. On the left side there is a young girl, half-naked, shown at the time of breaking the shackles. She is full of energy, and her face is very expressive of joy and life. It symbolizes the “young Poland” which is capable of action and being able to release herself from the long-term captivity.
The image can be interpreted as a question of choosing the future fate of the Polish homeland, upon its entering a new century. This dilemma clearly refers to the character of Hamlet, William Shakespeare’s drama and Hamlet’s life choice. Alexander Wielopolski is an example of the person making the difficult decision, and carrying the consequences of that choice. The figure of a man is pensive, lost in melancholy, and his indecision is highlighted even more by the flower in his hand and a belt on the body. The painting is an expression of Malczewski’s concern for the future of the Polish people.