This is the second part of the exposition arranged by the Historical Museum in Bielsko-Biała in the Fałatówka villa in Bystra.

A biographical and historical exhibition, located in the rooms on the ground floor of the artist’s house, it presents the great painter’s material legacy, with such personal memorabilia as an 1882 copy of his birth certificate from the Roman Catholic Parish in Tuligłowy, and an 1869 certificate of completion of the first school term of his third high school year in Przemyśl. There are excerpts from handwritten diaries detailing the years of his youth, his home village of Tuligłowy, and the surrounding countryside which contributed to his sensitivity and fondness for nature as well as his family house in which “he would experience moments of artistic inspiration which fiercely stimulated the mind.” There are also the artist’s photographs from Zurich (1873), where he sought work, and from his stay in Warsaw (1882-1884), where he began working closely with the press who printed his drawings. Among the interesting archive materials relating to his closest family is a passport issued in 1889 to Maria Luiza Comello, Julian Fałat’s future wife. This was necessary for their trips to Austria, Germany and Russia. There are also photographs of his children, numerous letters, medals, certificates and diplomas showing appreciation for the artist’s achievements at international and national art exhibitions. The oldest of these is a letter dated 26^th August 1880 from the Seine-et-Oise Department Society of Friends of the Arts awarding the painter a silver medal for works exhibited at Versailles. Of the Polish correspondence, the most important is a letter of 1884 from the Association for the Promotion of Fine Arts regarding a financial prize awarded to Fałat for two watercolour paintings, Dzwonnik (The Bell-ringer) and Węglarze (The Coal Men). Also noteworthy are letters associated with the most significant stages of his life: his appointment as Imperial-Royal Director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow and the functioning of the latter, his other public roles, including the position of Director of the Department of Culture and Arts in the government of Antoni Ponikowski, his involvement in the restoration of Polish cultural life in Pomerania and his last years in Bystra, along with his social and patriotic activities. The souvenirs from a journey around the world, which Julian Fałat undertook in 1885, are eye-catching, as is the archive material relating to the painting between 1894 and 1896 of the panoramic Berezyna with Wojciech Kossak. All of this is complemented by Julian Fałat’s paintings with images of his relatives, friends and acquaintances, as well as sculptures made by his contemporaries depicting members of his family.

‘Fałat’s legacy’ has been displayed in a new layout with the use of multimedia, thanks to which the broad biographical facts of his life are readily accessible. The materials collected in appropriate display cabinets with drawers allow one to freely explore the museum resources, interact better with the exhibition and get to know more about the artist. This set-up also encourages visitors to return to individual exhibits and ‘recapture’ the experience. One can freely choose and concentrate on interesting stages of the artist’s life and works in the various sections of the exhibition.

In the six rooms on the second floor an exhibition called ‘Julian Fałat – Painter and Collector’ was first put on in 2013 marking the 160^th anniversary of the artist’s birth. This exhibition presents his paintings, drawings and graphic artwork, complementing the interior decor of the artist’s house where he spent his last years and which has functioned as a biographical museum since 1973.