[Drugs in artistic works of Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939) on the Background of polish modernism at the turn of XIX and XX century].

At the turn of XIX and XX century in the Polish artistic circles it became widespread a modernist moral model, created among other by Baudelair's, Mallarme's Rimbaud's and Verlain's works. One of its elements was striving for getting into different status of conscience with help of narcotics and alcohol. A strong presence of narcotics in life of the Polish artistic circles at a time of mocernism has been a subject to analysis carried out by Tadeusz Boy-Zeleénski in his work "Cyganeria krakowska" [Crakow Bohemians]. He has shown their role of easing emotional tensions connected with striving for fame and with a competition. Underestimation, misery and social alienation of some artists have been inducing them to search in narcotics the way to artificial reality. In some Polish artistic circles the narcotics have become a stimulant of cult character (see Antoni Lange "Ballady pijackie", Stanisław Przybyszewski "Synowie ziemi", "Moi współcześni", Henryk Sienkiewicz "Bez dogmatu"). Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939), Polish painter and dramatist, creating in the first half of XX century, has continued a tradition of modernist customs, taken over by him from the artistic circle he was brought up. He used narcotics as direct creative stimulus, inspiring creation of his paintings, including a superb series of portraits. In paintings made under influence of the drugs, Witkiewicz was placing the symbols of stimulants taken earlier. He has specially appreciated cocaine, though he has been using also opium, morphine, hashish and mixes of various psychotropic agents. Paintings of Witkacy are characterised by original colouring of a very strong artistic expression. ...