Entitled The Piano Lesson, the work depicts Malczewski’s two younger sisters Bronisława and Helena. It was painted in 1877 and is one of a small number of paintings from the artist’s early naturalistic style.
In later years, Malczewski developed a career as one of Europe’s leading symbolist artists.
The Piano Lesson came up for auction in November last year at Rosebery’s in London, one of the UK’s leading auctioneers, but was withdrawn from sale after it was established that it had the marking "MN" for Muzeum Narodowe, or National Museum, on its reverse as well as the museum’s catalogue number.
The canvas also bears the painter's signature, the name of the town—"Radom"—where it was executed in central Poland, as well as the date "1877."
Polish Culture Minister Piotr Gliński said during an official presentation of the painting on Monday that he was delighted to see it restored to its rightful place.
He added that the painting’s previous owner agreed to return it to Poland without any conditions as soon as he learned it originally belonged to the National Museum in Warsaw.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Piotr Gliński. Photo: PAP/Andrzej Lange
Gliński also said that about 70 other paintings by Malczewski were still missing from Polish collections and that an official list of the country’s wartime art losses comprised about 63,000 items.
Malczewski died in 1929 at the age of 75.
(mk/gs)