Art and war seem to be mutually exclusive. This notion is reinforced by a paraphrase of Cicero’s proverb, often invoked to highlight the contrast between the ruthlessness and totality of war and the peace of mind required for artistic creation: Inter arma silent Musae—in times of war, the muses are silent. In essence, war is the antithesis of creativity; it is a destructive, total, devastating, and often senseless act. Certain types of artistic creation are incompatible with war. On the other hand, art draws from all areas of life, and even the most difficult experiences find their sublimation in artistic expression. Warfare has been a subject of art since antiquity—from the reliefs of Ancient Greece to the bas-reliefs on columns and triumphal arches of Ancient Rome, which celebrated military conquests.

The painting collection of the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America serves a unique role. The Institute’s rooms, filled with Polish artworks, transport visitors from Brooklyn’s Greenpoint to the landscapes of the Central European lowlands and the Carpathian Mountains. It is worth following the landscape trail of this collection, viewing the paintings as elements of an emotional vehicle through time and space.

The Warsaw Uprising was the largest military uprising in German-occupied Europe. The unequal fight lasted 63 days from August 1 to October 2, 1944. After years of inhumane and criminal German occupation, which brought new crimes every day, the people of Warsaw took up arms. On Monday, July 31 at 7 p.m., Colonel Antoni Chruściel "Monter", commander of the Warsaw Home Army District, signed the order to begin the Uprising and sent it to his subordinate commanders. On August 1, 1944, at 5 p.m., insurgent units attacked previously designated objects in all districts of the city. The insurgents' task was to occupy strategic points and hold them until the Red Army entered Warsaw. Although the insurgents managed to take over most of the city center with the Old Town by August 4, they failed to capture important military facilities, bridges, airports, train stations, command centers, barracks and office buildings. The Home Army consisted of roughly 50,000 young soldiers in the city. They were mainly intelligentsia, graduates of underground Warsaw secondary schools and colleges, students associated with the Home Army underground during the occupation, and members of the underground scouts.

Antoni Stefan Koper

Ignacy Jan Paderewski

Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) was a well known pianist and politician, admired by the world. He was one of the most famous artists in the USA at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He divided his life between Switzerland and America. Paderewski used to say that the recipe for an artist is: “one percent talent, ten percent luck and 90 percent work.” This was absolutely true in America. Paderweski loved and admired the United States, where he spent many years traveling to concerts, between California and New York. America gave Paderewski fame, money and contacts as well as a platform to get involved in the fight for Poland’s independence. New York and the surrounding area were key; this is where his American adventure began, and ended. Paderweski made his debut in the United States on November 17, 1891, in New York with a solo performance at the prestigious Carnegie Hall at the age of 31.