Władysława Prucnal Street

is a short lane that leads from the Pottery Center to the local church, where ceramic mosaics can be found. Along the street stands the remarkable Gallery of Folk Ceramic Sculpture by Władysława Prucnal.

Walking along the road, visitors can read information boards about the life and work of the Artist. The information is provided in Polish, but it can also be listened to thanks to an e- guide.

Władysława Prucnal was born on 23 December 1935 into a family of potters, in a rural cottage that once stood on this very street. She spent her childhood herding cows, working in the fields and farmyard—and shaping small figurines out of clay. Clay accompanied her from her earliest years: first as a delightful material for play, later becoming her friend, confidante, and the language of her artistic expression.

Already at the age of just 13, the artist was noticed by a Warsaw ethnographer, Janina Krajewska, who recognized her as an exceptional talent—a child of uncommon sensitivity. Although she was offered a scholarship to attend an art secondary school, she chose to give up formal education, remaining faithful to her artistic intuition and developed her own individual, unique, and instantly recognizable style.

Hard work on the land, family life, and the people she lived amongst every day shaped her character and personality. Nature, tradition, and faith strengthened her innate sensitivity and became sources of creative inspiration. For nearly 70 years, countless sculptures emerged from her hands—works that travelled from Medynia to the farthest corners of the world.

Świątki (Holy Figures)

A significant part of the artist’s work was devoted to figures of saints. Among them we find, for example, St. Peter, St. Veronica, and St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, as well as lesser- known saints such as St. Isidore and St. Hedwig of Silesia. There are also scenes from both the Old and New Testaments, including The Return of the Prodigal Son and Jesus’ Conversation with Nicodemus, as well as some surprisingly intimate scenes, such as the Virgin Mary bathing the Baby Jesus.

The sculptor did not remain indifferent to contemporary events, expressing them through her art. Among her works is a striking Pietà depicting the body of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko resting on his mother’s lap.

Yet among the countless holy figures gazing at us from the shelves of the Sculpture Gallery, the most moving and captivating are the Madonnas—embodiments of the painful fate of the Polish nation and an expression of its unwavering devotion to Her as Queen.

There is Our Lady of Berries, feeding the hungry from a jug filled with berries; Our Lady of Candlemas, protecting against natural disasters; Our Lady of Katyń, embracing those who were murdered; Our Lady of Auschwitz, dressed in a camp uniform and walking with her children towardsthe gas chamber; and Our Lady of Rosary, pointing the only sure path.

A special place in Władysława Prucnal’s work is also occupied by figures of Christ—the Good Shepherd, captivating in his beauty; the Merciful Christ, radiating calm; and the Sorrowful Christ (Frasobliwy), reflecting deeply of the fate of humankind.

The profound symbolism created by the artist, together with her original style refined over many years, has made these recognizable works known as “prucnalki.” The sculptor’s and poet’s bond with Mary, and her gratitude for the gift of talent she received, can be found not only in her sculptures but also in her poetry:

How I would like to love You

For that divine spark You poured into my heart

From among the village folk You chose me

And You, Mary, gave me creative gifts

And since my work has pleased people

It is because, dear Mother, I received it from You

I would never trade my work for gold

Only grant me always Your inspiration

Bless, Mary, my creative work

And grant people the grace to look upon it with love

And these holy figures in my humble cottage

Bless my Mother and my late Father

(…)

7 August 1974

Life of the Past

Folk traditions, work in the fields and on the farm, neighbourly gatherings, and May devotions sung at roadside shrines scattered among the fields are now things of the past, remembered by only a few. A longing for a simple life, lived in harmony with God and nature, can be found in the sculptures of Władysława Prucnal. In her clay figures, the artist captured a life that has already disappeared in order to “save it from being forgotten” and preserve it for future generations.

Her work transports us into the world of our grandparents, whose lives—filled with arduous labour and fervent prayer—gave them a deep sense of purpose. In a rural cottage we find a housewife kneading bread dough in a wooden trough; in the farmyard, a farmer threshing grain with flails; in the workshop, a potter at the wheel; and in the fields, harvesters toiling with sweat on their brows. After hard labour came time for joy and thanksgiving, so the villagers would walk to church with harvest wreaths and loaves of bread, accompanied by the sounds of a village band.

Not only the life of her immediate surroundings is reflected in the sculptor’s work. She also preserved in clay figures and events important to Polish culture, history, and learning. This gallery includes such eminent Poles as Nicolaus Copernicus, Fryderyk Chopin, Jan Kochanowski, Adam Mickiewicz, Jan Matejko, Tadeusz Kościuszko, Bolesław Prus, Janusz Korczak, Wincenty Witos, Józef Piłsudski, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, and Pope John Paul II

Cooperation with Cepelia

According to local tradition, pottery in Medynia had already been developing since the early 19th century, when the Lady of Łańcut, Princess Marshal Elżbieta Lubomirska née Czartoryska, is said to have brought a family of potters—the Jurek family—from Kołomyia (in present-day Ukraine), where she owned estates, to the nearby village of Zalesie. The flourishing of this craft in the surrounding area dates to the 19th century, while its revival came in the post-war period, when folk art came under the care of the organization established for this purpose—Cepelia.

Most Medynia craftspeople worked for Cepelia, earning their livelihood this way. Władysława Prucnal was among them. Although the forms of the works commissioned by the cooperative were imposed and did not require great artistic flair, the payment she received made it possible to survive and support her family. This did not go unnoticed by critics, who often did not spare the artist harsh words. Her consolation came in the form of numerous awards and distinctions in competitions, which expressed recognition of her artistic achievements.

Festivals organized by Cepelia in various cities across Poland—combined with folk art fairs and known as “Cepeliadas”—brought together local folk artists and provided opportunities for conversation, exchanging opinions, and celebrating together. Thanks to these events, local artists could travel farther than just nearby Łańcut or Rzeszów

The Church

The parish church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medynia Głogowska was built in 1958–1959 through the efforts of the parish priest at the time, Father Tadeusz Gonet, on the ruins of a wooden church from the early 18th century that was burned down during World War II. The church was constructed according to a design by the Lviv architect Engineer Wawrzyniec Dayczak, and its interior is adorned with stained glass windows, colourful wall polychromes, elements of metalwork, and above all, ceramic mosaics created by Jan Budziło, a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków.

The main scene in the presbytery depicts Mary visiting Saint Elizabeth, while the two remaining scenes represent the Annunciation and the Nativity of Jesus. Attention is drawn to the Stations of the Cross and the symbols of the Evangelists on the pulpit. These ceramic decorations were created through the joint efforts of local potters and the artist Władysława Prucnal. Her contribution to the appearance of the church interior is invaluable.

The sculptor designed and made the ceramic candlesticks standing in the presbytery beside the tabernacle, as well as clay figurines of village musicians decorating the pedestal beneath the tabernacle. She prepared several hundred plaster molds in which potters formed the clay mosaic tiles; she took responsibility for their colouring and glazing; and finally, as an experienced ceramic relief artist, she supervised their firing. Through her work and dedication to this project, she was able to soothe her sorrow and dim the painful image of the church burning during the war.

This traumatic memory returns in the words of her poem written after the death of parish priest Father Tadeusz Gonet:

Together we fled the cruel fate of war

When the July ears of grain ripened in the fields.

Hiding in the stream among alder roots,

There you granted us forgiveness of sins.

And as the church burned and our houses smoked

You wept with us, you were distressed,

And fervent prayer rose up to God

For this terrible war to quickly end.

(…)

19 April 1978