Zachęta

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Gallery building

Zug's church dome and the Zachęta, as seen from the Saxon Square

Zachęta (lit. Encouragement, short for Towarzystwo Zachęty Sztuk Pięknych, Society for Encouragement of Fine Arts) is one of the most notable art galleries in Warsaw. Currently state-owned and named Zachęta National Gallery of Art, it was named after the Society founded in 1860 and disbanded in 1939.

The Society was started by some of the most notable Polish artists and marchands, among them Wojciech Gerson, Alfred Schouppé and Marcin Olszyński. In 1900 the society moved to a new seat, a large building next to the Saxon Garden designed by Stefan Szyller. The aims of Zachęta were to promote art for the benefit of both artists and the Polish society. Since 1904 there are yearly Salons held there. The Society also founded scholarships and offered other aid to young artists, both members and apprentices.

On December 16th, 1922 president Gabriel Narutowicz, the first president of Poland was murdered in Zachęta. He was shot by Eligiusz Niewiadomski, a polish painter, after five days of incumbency.

Initially following new trends in European art, after Poland regained her independence in 1918 the Zachęta gradually became more conservative. Following the Polish Defensive War of 1939, Zachęta's exhibitions were suspended and in 1940 the institution was closed down by the German authorities, while a large part of the works of art were confiscated and sent to Germany. Following the World War II the building was rebuilt and continued to house the gallery, while the society was not re-established until 1990.