Biedermeier as Classicism, Romanticism, and Realism: The Development of Polish Perspectives and Research on Biedermeier Art

Abstract

The main subject of this article is the evolution of interest in and research on the Biedermeier
art in Polish scholarly literature. It includes both statements on Biedermeier in the European
context and those referring specifically to the situation on Polish territory. This study offers
a broad juxtaposition of various definitions of the Biedermeier style across Polish publications, and traces the first usages of the term “Biedermeier” in Poland. It uses comparative
analysis of particular texts on art, and thereby shows different lines of Polish research. It
demonstrates certain methodological mistakes and internal contradictions that are sometimes to be found within the same text and explains the possible reasons for different interpretations of Biedermeier art. The overall aim of the study is to collate and bring structure
to existing scholarship, which is scattered in publications on different branches of art, and
in doing so, to provide the material for further research.