"Vistula Victory"

Epochal events have a way of being remembered for years, revisited as a good omen, until they become legend. When Wisła Kraków players won the first-ever Polish Cup in 1926, they knew they were making history in our sport. Little did they know, however, that their achievement would also be immortalized in art. A year later, Wlastimil Hofman, one of Poland's most distinguished symbolist painters, unveiled a monumental painting depicting the White Star players who won the trophy. The sheer size of this work, measuring 210 cm x 488 cm, was truly staggering, and its subjects—depicted on a 1:1 scale—have become a permanent part of the annals of not only Polish football but also Polish painting. And because great things are worth emulating…

The date of May 2, 2024, is familiar to every Wisła Kraków fan. It was then that the White Star players became the architects of one of the most dramatic and simultaneously happiest events in the history of our club. Victory in the Polish Cup final against Pogoń Szczecin was something that, in a hundred, two hundred, and probably even three hundred years, our descendants will remember with fondness, joy, and pride. To make their task a little easier, we are honored to present Anna Siek's work, "Wisła's Victory," funded by Krzysztof Gaweł and created under the supervision of the Wisła History Association.

This painting, in accordance with the artist's and consultants' intentions, references a nearly hundred-year-old work, retaining the same dimensions. Certain elements of the Krakow skyline are also repeated (e.g., Wawel Cathedral). To emphasize the location of the final match, the National Stadium in Warsaw was placed on the new canvas.

In both Wlastimil Hofman's and Anna Siek's works, the muse seems to be taking care of the football players, and the team captains are deprived of the star on their chests, while in the new painting the muse symbolically hands it over to the winners.

In both works, the muse holds a cup in her hands. In Hofman's painting, it remains unclear whether the trophy displayed by the muse is the prize for winning the Polish Cup. As for Anna Siek's painting, the muse holds the Polish Cup, which Wisła Kraków won in 1967.

And one more element connecting both works: Anna Siek's canvas depicts thirteen players – exactly the same number as Wlastimil Hofman included in his work.

The themes of my work concern humanity, our place in the world, and the emotions that shape us – this is what Anna Siek wrote about herself in her short bio. In "Wiślacka Victorii," she managed to capture not only the spirit of sport but also the essence of Wisła Kraków – a club whose history is a tale of passion, loyalty, and a relentless pursuit of victory. Because after all…

When the White Star above shimmers

You have one irresistible impression

The world is blue, white, red

Vivat Wisełka! Evviva l'arte!