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DOI Artikel:Kandt, Kevin E.: Andreas Schlüter and Otto van Veen: the source, context, and adaption of a classicizing embelm for the tomb of Jakub Sobieski
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28185#0037
Kevin E. Kandt
ANDREAS SCHLÜTER AND OTTO VAN VEEN:
THE SOURCE, CONTEXT, AND ADAPTATION OF A
CLASSICIZING EMBLEM FOR THE TOMB
OF JAKUB SOBIESKI*
On 21 August 1692, Agostino Locci the Younger, chief architect re-
sponsible for building construction at the royal palace of Wilanôw near
Warsaw, wrote to his employer Polish King Jan III Sobieski. He in-
formed the King about various activities there and mentioned designs for
funerary monuments enclosed with his letter:
“I sent to your Royal Majesty projects for epitaphs, with three Famé figures, each
with a different coat of arms that would better satisfy his Royal Majesty and
which would you kindly condescend to choose. I could fmd no better and appro-
priate Virtues, not merely simple (ones), but ducal Virtues like Courage as Forti-
tude and Vigilance in times of war.”* 1
The following article contains material presented at the 4th International Emblem
Conférence - Catholic University - Leuven, Belgium (August 1996) and at the Plattenburg
Seminar “Andréas Schlüter und das Schloss zu Berlin” Schloss Plattenburg, Germany
(November 1996). Many thanks go to Prof. Dr. Goerd Peschken, Berlin; Prof. Dr. Christian
Theuerkauff, Berlin; Prof. Dr. Stanislaw Mossakowski, Warsaw; Prof. Dr. Konstanty Ka-
linowski, Poznan; Prof. Dr. Lars Olof Larsson, Kiel; and Dr. Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann,
Princeton, for reading drafts of the manuscript and giving their comments. A final note of
thanks goes to Prof. Dr. Jerzy Kowalczyk, Warsaw, for his initial suggestion to write an article
on the Sobieski tombs. This article is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr. Katarzyna
Cieslak of Gdansk in gratitude for ail her assistance, kindness, and encouragement.
1 Before World War II Locci’s letters were housed in the Geheimes Staatsarchiv, Ber-
lin (Rep. 141.D.7) but later lost. Fortunately, twenty-five letters dated between 1681-94
were transcribed and published beforehand. The letter cited includes the following excerpt:
“...Posilam WKMC Proiect Epitaphi, cum triplici Fama kazda inaczej Herb representui^ca,
ktôry siç spodoba lepiej to WKMC obrac raczysz. Virtutes ni mogîem lepszych, ex proprias,
non Simplici Nulli ale Duci wynalesc iako Valorem iakoby Fortitudinem et Vigilantiam
circa Bellicas Expedit... W.Wil. 21 Aug. 1692.” J. Starzynski, “Wilanôw, dzieje budowy
palacu za Jana III,” in Studia do dziejôw sztuki w Polsce, 5(1933), and (2nd ed.) with com-
mentary by A. Milobçdzki, Warszawa 1975, pp. 7, 106-107 and 109. Many thanks to Dr.
Jacek Tylicki of Torun for editing my English translation of this text.
ANDREAS SCHLÜTER AND OTTO VAN VEEN:
THE SOURCE, CONTEXT, AND ADAPTATION OF A
CLASSICIZING EMBLEM FOR THE TOMB
OF JAKUB SOBIESKI*
On 21 August 1692, Agostino Locci the Younger, chief architect re-
sponsible for building construction at the royal palace of Wilanôw near
Warsaw, wrote to his employer Polish King Jan III Sobieski. He in-
formed the King about various activities there and mentioned designs for
funerary monuments enclosed with his letter:
“I sent to your Royal Majesty projects for epitaphs, with three Famé figures, each
with a different coat of arms that would better satisfy his Royal Majesty and
which would you kindly condescend to choose. I could fmd no better and appro-
priate Virtues, not merely simple (ones), but ducal Virtues like Courage as Forti-
tude and Vigilance in times of war.”* 1
The following article contains material presented at the 4th International Emblem
Conférence - Catholic University - Leuven, Belgium (August 1996) and at the Plattenburg
Seminar “Andréas Schlüter und das Schloss zu Berlin” Schloss Plattenburg, Germany
(November 1996). Many thanks go to Prof. Dr. Goerd Peschken, Berlin; Prof. Dr. Christian
Theuerkauff, Berlin; Prof. Dr. Stanislaw Mossakowski, Warsaw; Prof. Dr. Konstanty Ka-
linowski, Poznan; Prof. Dr. Lars Olof Larsson, Kiel; and Dr. Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann,
Princeton, for reading drafts of the manuscript and giving their comments. A final note of
thanks goes to Prof. Dr. Jerzy Kowalczyk, Warsaw, for his initial suggestion to write an article
on the Sobieski tombs. This article is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr. Katarzyna
Cieslak of Gdansk in gratitude for ail her assistance, kindness, and encouragement.
1 Before World War II Locci’s letters were housed in the Geheimes Staatsarchiv, Ber-
lin (Rep. 141.D.7) but later lost. Fortunately, twenty-five letters dated between 1681-94
were transcribed and published beforehand. The letter cited includes the following excerpt:
“...Posilam WKMC Proiect Epitaphi, cum triplici Fama kazda inaczej Herb representui^ca,
ktôry siç spodoba lepiej to WKMC obrac raczysz. Virtutes ni mogîem lepszych, ex proprias,
non Simplici Nulli ale Duci wynalesc iako Valorem iakoby Fortitudinem et Vigilantiam
circa Bellicas Expedit... W.Wil. 21 Aug. 1692.” J. Starzynski, “Wilanôw, dzieje budowy
palacu za Jana III,” in Studia do dziejôw sztuki w Polsce, 5(1933), and (2nd ed.) with com-
mentary by A. Milobçdzki, Warszawa 1975, pp. 7, 106-107 and 109. Many thanks to Dr.
Jacek Tylicki of Torun for editing my English translation of this text.