Conversations with God: Copernicus by Jan Matejko, National Gallery, London: 21 May-22 August 2021

Despite being relatively unknown outside his homeland, Jan Matejko is one of Poland’s most famous artists whose paintings portray important national or military events. After graduating from the School of Fine Arts in Krakow in 1858 and then the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in 1860, Matejko began to make a name for himself as one of the country’s most talented painters.

In his huge painting ‘Astronomer Copernicus’, Matejko celebrates the 400th birthday of Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). Copernicus was the first modern scholar to propose that the Sun rather than the Earth was at the centre of the solar system, and Matejko paints him in a moment of epiphany. Matejko was especially interested in highlighting important moments in Polish history, and this is something you’ll notice in the dramatic contrast between light and dark shades. The painting is actually quite unusual for Matejko’s style, as he usually painted group scenes rather than individuals.

Through one of Poland’s most loved paintings, this exhibition offers you a rare example of art and science coming together.