Sketch of two female figures to the painting ‘Martyrdom of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych’ 1861

Here we see Józef Simmler's preliminary sketch of two female figures for his painting ‘Martyrdom of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych’. It is rendered in delicate pencil lines on paper. The sketch presents two women in distinct emotional postures. One figure raises her hands in what appears to be distress or supplication. The other bows her head, resting it on her hands in a gesture of grief. Simmler's choice of line is critical here; it’s tentative and exploratory, capturing the raw emotionality of the scene. The composition, though simple, is effective in conveying a sense of sorrow. The figures' placement—one upright and the other bowed—creates a visual rhythm that guides the viewer's eye, emphasizing the contrast between despair and agony. This sketch, in its formal qualities, is less about the aesthetic polish and more about the process of conceptualizing profound human emotions. It invites us to consider the semiotic system, which gives shape to collective grief.