DOI issue:
Nr. 1-2
DOI article:Pokora, Jakub: Portret wedle zasad rebusu?: Henryk Lubomirski jako Geniusz Sławy Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (1789) =
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.35031#0060
PORTRET WEDLE ZASAD REBUSU? GEAW-SZ&AttrE. YlGEE-LEBRUN
55
reason these personifications were until now
interpreted incorrectly.
It is significant that a similar problem exists with
the title to which Vigee-Lebrun clearly refemed. The
matter concerns a widely known work by Annibale
CaiTacci known as Geniny p/Fn/ne (Der Gen/uy <7ey
Fu/zmey), from aiound 1598-9 (housed sińce 1746 in
the Dresdener Gemaldegalerie, oil on canvas,
174xll4cm). The artist depicted among the clouds a
winged, naked adolescent, holding a spear and
surrounded by putti flying towaids the heavens. He
displays morę awards than might be considered
proper; i.e. four laurels. Reaching out to the limit, he
stretches higher and is successful in seizing the crown.
His theme is difficult to define. Even while the
interpretation contained in the gallery catalogue of
1765 has continued to function to the present day, it
is, to put the matter mildly, a controversial one. For
example, Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1752) and
Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1803) recognised the figurę
in the painting as being Apollo. In the opinion of
others, the painting had acquired its title even earlier,
at the start of the 18th century, although the attributes
applied seem to point to Amor <F Crtn, but with the
reservation that in details this personification differs
from the one given by Alciati or Ripa (vague
meanings for the spear and golden crown). There
are, in the finał count, those who State that 'Genius
of Famę' is a new iconographical type created by
Carracci.
Carracci's painting was widely known. In Polish
art there exist two replicas of the work: in the pałace
at Wilanów (a travesty from 1730-33, possibly by
Johann Samuel Mock) as well as in the National
Museum in Warsaw (Carracci's picture is visible in
the scene GremtGg Ge Cunytńmo/! u/Ge Dueńy o/'
BGrynw ky Anpo/eon, painted by Marcello
Bacciarelli, 1809-'11). Before that, there had been
morę replicas, including those in the collections of
Stanislaus Augustus and Helena Radziwiłł of the
Przezdzeckis, nonę of which have been preserved.
It may be assumed that the paintings of Carracci
and Vigee-Lebrun present an identical theme of
Amor g/orGe. Carracci's genius, never satisfied in
his ambition reminiscent in itself of Cnpńńtny, soars
to the loftiest heights to reach for a successive
trophy. Vigee-Lebrun's genius propelling her to the
heights at his moment is brought down to earth, and
as a consequence begins to attract famę. It is this and
not the formal analogies with Doidalses's Ap/rroGte
ópuattńrg, that justify the modeks pose unique to
portraiture.
The considerations contained in his article are
concluded by the connnent signalled by its titled. The
portrait under consideration of Henryk Fubomirski
was built up in accordance with the principles of a
riddle. A/nou/*e/e G GGrte is in fact nothing morę than
a translation into French of the sumame Lubomirski:
the stem FiG(o)- is derived from Gky - 'loved one',
'desired', while nn'r- (at least in this case) signifies
'command', 'recognition', 'popularity', 'seriously'.
And thus 'Lubomirski' means literally, in this context,
'loving recognition', or altematively, 'in love with
famę'.
His thesis demands profounder justification,
sińce the puzzle noniGn GpnentG originating from
antiquity in Polish learning remains a virgin area of
research. The author has already demonstrated on
the occasion of discussing idealistic programmes
connected with works of art conceptions based on
the significance of a first name or sumame (ref.:
BHS, LXV, 2003, no. 1). In this instance the list has
inereased in size by three 18th-/19th-century
portraits.
An allusion to the sumame of Franciszek Smug-
lewicz (painter: Józef Peszka ca. 1798, National
Museum in Poznań) is constituted by the streak
(Pol.: ywngn) of light, as well as the Cascade (Pol.:
potok) in a plein-air likeness of Anna Potocka of the
Cetners (Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun 1791, Kimbell Art
Museum in Fort Worth, Texas). In the latter case, the
proposed interpretation explains why this is the
artist's first portrait in which landscape plays such a
significant role.
However, an allusion to the Christian name is
present in the portrait of Teofil Dominikowa
Radziwiłłowa as Hebe (Józef Peszka 1807-1810,
National Museum in Cracow, Gallery in the Cloth
Hall). 'Theophile' translates as 'close friend of a
god', or 'liked one of a god', while the vernacular
equivalent of this first name is simply Bogumiła -
and she too was introduced, sińce Theophile serving
Zeus with the divine elixir is most clearly kind, or
good to the god.
It is not known who was responsible for the
riddle portrait of Henryk Lubomirski, but it may be
assumed that it was Izabella Lubomirska of the
Czartoryskis. Only she had the opportunity of living
in the presence of the GenGy p/Wawie for the longest
period of time; at least, that is, the version now
housed at Wilanów. She knew the child very well
from her youngest years, initially as a child of the
owner of Wilanów and subsequently as the palace's
owner.
7runy/uted by Teter Mnrtyn
55
reason these personifications were until now
interpreted incorrectly.
It is significant that a similar problem exists with
the title to which Vigee-Lebrun clearly refemed. The
matter concerns a widely known work by Annibale
CaiTacci known as Geniny p/Fn/ne (Der Gen/uy <7ey
Fu/zmey), from aiound 1598-9 (housed sińce 1746 in
the Dresdener Gemaldegalerie, oil on canvas,
174xll4cm). The artist depicted among the clouds a
winged, naked adolescent, holding a spear and
surrounded by putti flying towaids the heavens. He
displays morę awards than might be considered
proper; i.e. four laurels. Reaching out to the limit, he
stretches higher and is successful in seizing the crown.
His theme is difficult to define. Even while the
interpretation contained in the gallery catalogue of
1765 has continued to function to the present day, it
is, to put the matter mildly, a controversial one. For
example, Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1752) and
Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1803) recognised the figurę
in the painting as being Apollo. In the opinion of
others, the painting had acquired its title even earlier,
at the start of the 18th century, although the attributes
applied seem to point to Amor <F Crtn, but with the
reservation that in details this personification differs
from the one given by Alciati or Ripa (vague
meanings for the spear and golden crown). There
are, in the finał count, those who State that 'Genius
of Famę' is a new iconographical type created by
Carracci.
Carracci's painting was widely known. In Polish
art there exist two replicas of the work: in the pałace
at Wilanów (a travesty from 1730-33, possibly by
Johann Samuel Mock) as well as in the National
Museum in Warsaw (Carracci's picture is visible in
the scene GremtGg Ge Cunytńmo/! u/Ge Dueńy o/'
BGrynw ky Anpo/eon, painted by Marcello
Bacciarelli, 1809-'11). Before that, there had been
morę replicas, including those in the collections of
Stanislaus Augustus and Helena Radziwiłł of the
Przezdzeckis, nonę of which have been preserved.
It may be assumed that the paintings of Carracci
and Vigee-Lebrun present an identical theme of
Amor g/orGe. Carracci's genius, never satisfied in
his ambition reminiscent in itself of Cnpńńtny, soars
to the loftiest heights to reach for a successive
trophy. Vigee-Lebrun's genius propelling her to the
heights at his moment is brought down to earth, and
as a consequence begins to attract famę. It is this and
not the formal analogies with Doidalses's Ap/rroGte
ópuattńrg, that justify the modeks pose unique to
portraiture.
The considerations contained in his article are
concluded by the connnent signalled by its titled. The
portrait under consideration of Henryk Fubomirski
was built up in accordance with the principles of a
riddle. A/nou/*e/e G GGrte is in fact nothing morę than
a translation into French of the sumame Lubomirski:
the stem FiG(o)- is derived from Gky - 'loved one',
'desired', while nn'r- (at least in this case) signifies
'command', 'recognition', 'popularity', 'seriously'.
And thus 'Lubomirski' means literally, in this context,
'loving recognition', or altematively, 'in love with
famę'.
His thesis demands profounder justification,
sińce the puzzle noniGn GpnentG originating from
antiquity in Polish learning remains a virgin area of
research. The author has already demonstrated on
the occasion of discussing idealistic programmes
connected with works of art conceptions based on
the significance of a first name or sumame (ref.:
BHS, LXV, 2003, no. 1). In this instance the list has
inereased in size by three 18th-/19th-century
portraits.
An allusion to the sumame of Franciszek Smug-
lewicz (painter: Józef Peszka ca. 1798, National
Museum in Poznań) is constituted by the streak
(Pol.: ywngn) of light, as well as the Cascade (Pol.:
potok) in a plein-air likeness of Anna Potocka of the
Cetners (Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun 1791, Kimbell Art
Museum in Fort Worth, Texas). In the latter case, the
proposed interpretation explains why this is the
artist's first portrait in which landscape plays such a
significant role.
However, an allusion to the Christian name is
present in the portrait of Teofil Dominikowa
Radziwiłłowa as Hebe (Józef Peszka 1807-1810,
National Museum in Cracow, Gallery in the Cloth
Hall). 'Theophile' translates as 'close friend of a
god', or 'liked one of a god', while the vernacular
equivalent of this first name is simply Bogumiła -
and she too was introduced, sińce Theophile serving
Zeus with the divine elixir is most clearly kind, or
good to the god.
It is not known who was responsible for the
riddle portrait of Henryk Lubomirski, but it may be
assumed that it was Izabella Lubomirska of the
Czartoryskis. Only she had the opportunity of living
in the presence of the GenGy p/Wawie for the longest
period of time; at least, that is, the version now
housed at Wilanów. She knew the child very well
from her youngest years, initially as a child of the
owner of Wilanów and subsequently as the palace's
owner.
7runy/uted by Teter Mnrtyn