Greeting Emperor Franz Joseph in Sukiennice in Krakow

In 1880, Emperor Franz Joseph visited Krakow and Lviv for an inspection tour, where he reviewed the troops during manoeuvres. Mass events and celebrations always accompanied such visits. Special committees were established in Krakow and Lviv to prepare for the Emperor's reception. The members of the Krakow committee included artists Juliusz Kossak, Hipolit Lipinski, Jacek Malczewski, and Waclaw Konniuszko. The Emperor visited Krakow only twice. The painting depicts the meeting of Franz Joseph during his second arrival in the city from September 1 to 4, 1880. A building was chosen in the centre of the Main Market Square in Krakow, built as a trading hall, known as the Cloth Hall (Polish: Sukiennice). A special stage was erected for the Emperor and his entourage. The greeting was a theatrical performance featuring a Krakow wedding and harvest celebration. The large-scale multi-figure canvas was painted by Lipinski a year after the event. The spacious, brightly lit hall is filled with people in various festive attire. To the left, under a giant red canopy on a raised platform covered with carpets, stands the Emperor in a blue full dress uniform surrounded by his retinue. He is receiving gifts and greetings from various regions of his empire. To the right and in the centre, young people are dancing, while smiling children are depicted with wreaths made of grain and vegetables. The bright and dynamic composition conveys the scale and organisation of this festive event.

In the bottom left is the artist's signature and date: "H. Lipiński w Krakowie 1881". On the reverse is the inscription: "Przyjęcie cesarza Franciszka Józefa w Sukiennicach w Krakowie".

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery