Known fondly as The Pinecone Palace among the family and friends, the house at Krupnicza 26 in Kraków was bought by the artist Józef Mehoffer (1869-1946) in 1932. Extensively remodelled upon purchase and decorated by the artist and his wife Jadwiga, the house has a unique character. The pinecone motif recurs throughout the rooms. Currently the building belongs to the National Museum in Kraków. Unlike the larger museum branches in Kraków the Mehoffer House has an almost intimate family home atmosphere thanks to the reconstruction of the original settings from the time when the Mehoffers used to live there.

Józef Mehoffer initially trained as a lawyer but he later studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and later in several art academies in Paris. He also travelled widely in France, Germany and Italy, where he picked up recent trends in art. His works show influences of symbolism and Art Nouveau. He is considered as one of the main artists of the Young Poland Movement. Throughout the artist’s house you can see examples of his paintings including portraits, quite a few self-portraits, and other works.

The house decor remains as close as possible to the original. The Mehoffers collected antique furniture which gave the property a certain distinguished feel.

The red ‘Japanese Room’, was inspired by all things Japanese, which was very in vogue at the time. It looks almost identical to an archive photo from 1938.

Like many of his contemporaries, Mehoffer worked in a variety of media, including painting, drawing and design. He designed textiles, theatre stage sets, books and stained glass. Several of his stained glass projects brought him international fame and accolades. Among his largest public projects were the stained-glass windows at the Fribourg Cathedral in Switzerland, stained-glass windows at the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, and the mosaic and polychrome scheme at the Armenian Cathedral of Lviv, Ukraine. A beautiful example of a secular Art-Nouveau stained glass design is Vita Somnium Breve (c.1906) displayed in one of the upper floor rooms.

Currently on loan from Borys Voznytsky Lviv National Art Gallery is Mehoffer’s masterpiece The Singer (1896). The painting is a life-size portrait of the artist’s future sister in-law Wanda Janakowska. The singer is shown on stage wearing a Spanish-inspired opera costume. Standing behind the stage curtain are four people including the artist himself and his future wife Jadwiga Janakowska, also an artist. You can see some of her works on display throughout the house.

Mehoffer painted his beloved wife on numerous occasions, including one of his best-known paintings The Strange Garden (1903, the painting is at the National Museum of Warsaw).

Nature was an important source of inspiration for Mehoffer. Although the above painting was not based on this particular garden, even today we can appreciate this little green oasis secluded from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s easy to imagine the artist strolling around it and studying nature.