Lake with rocky shores.

Lake with Rocky Shores, dated 1880 and now in the National Museum in Warsaw, represents a departure from Siemiradzki's characteristic figure-based compositions. Landscape as a primary subject occupied him intermittently throughout his career, and this study of a lake with craggy geological formations demonstrates the observed naturalism he brought even to settings conventionally treated as backdrops in his larger works. The year 1880 was one in which he also worked on Christian Golgotha sketches, suggesting a deliberate alternation between sacred subjects and straightforward landscape. The Polish landscape tradition was developing strongly in the 1870s–80s, with artists such as Józef Chełmoński exploring the native countryside; Siemiradzki's lake study fits within a broader interest in natural observation rather than being merely incidental.

Oil on canvas, the work prioritises tonal observation over compositional drama. The reflective surface of the water provides the main visual interest — rendering the sky's tones inverted and softened in the horizontal plane. Rocky shores are handled with impastoed marks that suggest geological texture, contrasting with the smoother, more blended handling of the water. Overcast or diffuse light eliminates strong shadows, creating a quiet, tonally unified atmosphere.