The metaphor of the road as an existential experience which is used in the title of the exhibition refers to Mela Muter’s life in two ways. First, she painted as an émigré in France where she became, over time, a member of the local artistic circle, and she was influenced by her near and far journeys. After leaving her home city, Warsaw, in 1901, Muter traveled extensively. She went to plein airs, and she moved often because of life vicissitudes, including the danger of dying (for example, when she stayed in Provence during World War II). The travels provide a timeline for her artistic output. Each period is characterized by specific motifs and changing stylistic devices.

Second, the metaphor of the road represents Muter’s path to becoming a notable personality in the artistic world. That process began when she moved from Warsaw (at that time, still in the Russian Empire) to Paris. In the interwar period, she became an independent and respected artist, under the pseudonym of Mela Muter. While Muter used to be marginalized in art history, especially after the painter’s death in 1967, nowadays, there is great interest in her life and work, both among collector and the broader audience. Gradually, as a result of changes in the canon of Polish modern art, her paintings are being included in Polish public collections.